


Rin

by Yilena



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Demon Luka, Demons, F/M, Fantasy, Knight Kagami, Mage Marinette, Magic, Minor Character Death, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:14:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 79,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25489804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yilena/pseuds/Yilena
Summary: After being summoned from Earth to Fleur-Ha, Marinette sheds her old identity to be Mari, a mediocre mage. As she learns about magic and is warned about demons, it's the people from her past that eventually make her feel at home. AU.(mari gets isekai'd and becomes a reluctant necromancer.)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Comments: 267
Kudos: 343





	1. 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since mdr's finished, here's another story where i'll try and keep the updates short. i binged a lot of isekai manga and had only three customers at work today, so this was created. don't be surprised that there's a king and princess but no other noble titles because i'm making this all up.

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“You've been brought here to fight the Demon King.”

Marinette clutched her stomach, gagging.

The stone floor felt hard against her bare knees.

“I assure you, we'll offer our help and provide you what you need to survive here,” a man stated, his voice rough and low. “We do not wish for more unnecessary deaths.”

Her vision was hazy.

It was the feeling of stone that grounded her, the feel of it welcome and familiar unlike the man that was talking.

He wasn't her professor.

The reactions of her class-mates were different—some were crying, others staying quiet, while some were screaming for answers to their questions, or attempting to escape through singular door in the door that had armed guards standing aggressively in front of it.

Tears welled in her eyes.

“I ask for your cooperation while we conduct a brief examination to see whether you're qualified to stay in the castle,” the man continued, ignoring the sobbing young adults that were in front of him. “There is no reason to be scared.”

There were shouts of protest to that.

Marinette was trying not to throw up.

“Please, be calm,” he said. “No harm will come to you.”

He had guards in front of him, keeping her and her class-mates on the other side of the room. As soon as anyone tried to move, swords were drawn and pointed at them in threat.

“I apologise for the panic my words may have caused,” the old man said, taking a step forward to stand in front of his guards. “The king has promised refuge and a stable life for anyone who doesn't pass.”

Marinette threw up.

There was no king where she lived, nor did anyone dress like the strangers did with old-fashioned uniforms adorned with brooches with jewels that caught the light.

“I am Damocles,” the man proclaimed, placing a hand over his heart as he bowed. “It is my pleasure to welcome you to the world of Fleur-Ha.”

A class-mate of hers screamed, “You can't do this!”

Damocles' expression didn't falter.

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut.

“It was never our intention to make you suffer,” he stated, the lines rehearsed and uttered perfectly. “However, the Demon King has become crazed and has devastated our land with his violence. The ritual to summon you all here was a last resort.”

There was a knock at the door.

A guard opened it, allowing a group of strangers access. Their clothes were another uniform that didn't include a sword at their waist.

“We ask for your cooperation with this examination to allow you entrance,” Damocles requested, another half-bow that would've been entirely out of place back at her home. “Once this is over, you will be escorted either to or from the castle.”

There were more protests and crying than before.

Marinette stared, wide-eyed and shaking.

The drawn swords weren't pressed against anyone's neck until her class-mate punched a guard in the face in an attempt to flee.

And as the screaming started as blood oozed from her class-mate's neck—a cut that was barely a scratch in comparison to what it could've been—Marinette sat there on the floor, numbly watching it all happen.

-x-

There was no escaping.

Half of her class-mates had been escorted from the room they'd appeared in, never to return again. Marinette had been told along with the others that they'd been taken to live in a peaceful nearby town to start new lives.

There was no going back.

At least, that's what they'd been told.

They'd all been given separate rooms in one wing of the castle. At every corner, outside every door, there were guards with swords resting on their hips to prevent them from leaving. The windows couldn't be opened far enough to climb out, and the distance to the floor below was certain death.

The view wasn't familiar.

She'd cried until her eyes hurt.

And every time they were escorted to a dining hall for their meals during the first week, her remaining class-mates begged and cried for the guards to tell them more.

Damocles came to visit once to inform them that they wouldn't have to wait for long.

There was no information given.

“Fleur-Ha,” Marinette repeated under her breath, tightening the laces of the boots she'd been provided.

Their clothes and personal belongings had been taken from them quickly. There was no need for a phone when there was no service, after all.

There was no one coming to help them.

Marinette seemed to be the one accepting that the quickest.

The worst part of it, she realised as she sat at one side of the table, slowly eating her breakfast, was that she barely knew her class-mates. Marinette had transferred for her second year of university and hadn't even completed a weeks worth of classes before the summoning happened.

Including her, ten of her class remained.

It was the tenth day when someone new came in.

“Greetings,” a woman said as she came through the door, guards flanking her. “I hope I didn't make you wait for too long.”

No one spoke.

Marinette set her cutlery down, feeling nauseated.

The woman's dress was loose, flowing and tied by a ribbon at the waist to accentuate her figure, and the red hair that was intricately plaited at the top and flowing in long curls down her back set her apart from the uniformed guards that she'd seen day-to-day.

Marinette and her class-mates were dressed in matching clothes; a white shirt and black trousers that ended below their knees, allowing the boots to cover any exposed flesh.

“I am Alya, the princess of Lyss-Ria,” the woman said, clasping her hands together with a bright smile. “I am so thankful that you've come in our time of need. Truly, it's a miracle that our prayers have been answered by Panya once more.”

She swallowed.

Alya's smile grew, showing her teeth. “You're welcome to ask questions. I volunteered to meet you all and introduce you to our land in place of my father.”

Marinette felt like she was going to be sick.

Her class-mates had stopped eating, opting to give the princess their attention instead. Marinette had heard them whispering through the week, attempting to devise plans to escape.

It was useless to try and overpower a trained professional that was armed with a sword.

A class-mate raised his hand. “Panya?”

“The name of our god,” Alya patiently responded.

There was a brief silence.

Alya added on, “I am aware that our worlds are very different. It is not mandatory for you to follow all of our traditions, however, we do ask for your respect. I cannot protect you if you offend the wrong people.”

It was a lot to take in.

Her breathing was growing heavy, panic setting in as she dug her nails into her palms, trying to ground herself.

“I'm aware you had homes and families,” Alya said, taking a step forward and sitting down in a chair that a guard pulled out for her. “And I regret that you had to leave them behind.”

Marinette's hands were shaking.

“You must understand, the Demon King has grown too powerful for us to contain any more. This—it was a terrible decision to make,” Alya whispered, glumly looking down at her lap as she put her hands on her knees. “I request that you dislike me rather than my people.”

There was no response to that.

What could they say?

The guards had their hands on their weapons, ready to strike at any sign of violence.

Her class-mate that had gotten his neck cut had disappeared with the others.

Another class-mate dared to ask, “What do you mean by demon king? Like, is he from a rival country—”

“He is not a king.” Alya's smile didn't reach her eyes. “There is no royal family of demons—they're pests, the lot of them.”

The world was so different.

“He is not human,” Alya stated, brushing a long curl behind her shoulder. “It's the name that we all prefer to him by. It's known that uttering his true name grants him more power. There are no records of it left because of that.”

Someone coughed.

There was no laughter or saying it was a joke.

The silence was broken by a whisper of, “Not human?”

“Demons are a different species,” was all they got in return to that.

It was a steady voice that asked, “And you're not?”

“I'm human,” Alya confirmed, putting a hand over her heart, though there was no bowing as Damocles had done in the past. “From my understanding, Fleur-Ha is an alternate world to yours? Where Earth excels in places, we shine in others. Fleur-Ha is the what could've been, the same as you.”

The explanation was lacking.

And from the bewildered expressions around the room, she wasn't the only one that thought that.

Someone asked, “How do you know that?”

A guard took a step forward, agitated.

Alya held her hand up to stop them before saying, “The ritual was completed only one time before, though it wasn't this... successful.”

Marinette's gaze dropped down to her plate.

“Sixty years ago, we were able to summon a single hero,” Alya informed them. Marinette didn't need to look up to know that the princess was smiling. “It's a miracle that we were able to summon so many of you this time.”

“Why?” Her class-mate sounded close to tears. “Why—why do you need us? I can't even _drive—_ ”

“You're capable of what we're not,” Alya told them. “You can use magic.”

Marinette swallowed.

Her reactions was the least outraged of her class. Some shouted, disbelief clear in their voices, while one stood up so abruptly that their chair fell back against the floor, a guard immediately raising their sword at the threat.

“Please,” Alya breathed, and that single word was enough to get her guards to calm down. “I am telling you the truth. While your world doesn't allow you to harness your power, Fleur-Ha does.”

Someone burst out with, “You—are you _mad_?”

“I understand you're upset, truly,” Alya said, standing up, clutching onto her dress. “It was a terrible thing we did—”

“Terrible?” came an outraged voice. “You—you _kidnapped_ us! I have a family—”

“It cannot be undone!” Alya exclaimed, raising her voice for the first time. “Please, you need to accept your new positions to create a new life! You will not be allowed to wallow in sadness for long.”

Wasn't that selfish?

To be ripped away from the life she'd known, taken away from the classroom that she'd hardly gotten used to to shoved into another world where they were told they were needed—

She'd never wanted to be in that position.

There was a sob. “Why is this more important than my life?”

Alya seemed at a loss for words, only managing to get out, “I'm sorry.”

And as another burst into tears, a guard leaned down to whisper into Alya's ear.

The princess cleared her throat.

“I know this is hard to come to terms with—”

“You know?” her class-mate questioned, angrily shoving her plate onto the ground. It shattered, food splattering onto her clothing. “You don't know anything! You don't—you don't even know our names, do you? You don't care!”

“I care!” Alya insisted, hands balled into her fists at her side. “This—this is a last resort that Panya granted us! If it wasn't meant to be, it wouldn't have happened.”

Another guard raised their sword up to stop any thoughts of violence when one spat back, “Your god wanted to ruin our fucking lives?”

“You can live here,” the princess insisted, voice wobbling as she blinked rapidly. “You—the capital peaceful. If you're found to be incapable, you can live freely here.”

“Incapable?” was questioned. “You—you've kept us locked up here for a week and you expect us to readily fight for you?”

“I had to do this for my people!” Alya told them, shouting loud enough for her voice to echo. The elegance and calmness she'd entered the room with had disappeared, replaced with an almost frantic expression as she continued on to say, “I had to—this had to be done to protect Lyss-Ria; to stop the suffering everywhere. Panya answered our prayers and brought only those that can fulfil our request here.”

A boy slammed his fist on the table. “It doesn't sound like a fucking request.”

“This is your fight now,” Alya said, trembling hands smoothing out her dress. “You—there's no way back to your Earth. If you don't offer your help, you'll be eliminated with the rest of us eventually.”

Marinette wasn't close to being sick any more.

The shock of the situation had settled down, that numb feeling of acceptance spreading through her, and the anger that she felt as she watched the desperate princess didn't come out explosively as it did for everyone else. For people she hardly knew, she was glad that their reactions were rational.

“You are the only ones in this land that are capable of defeating him,” Alya informed them, placing her shaking hands on the table to stabilise herself. “There's texts that can help you harness your powers, records left behind by scholars that can guide you—”

There was no point fighting, was there?

Guards were stationed at every exit, were around every corner to keep them in the castle, and the students that had been ushered away at the beginning had been the lucky ones. Their fate was unknown, sure, but they weren't being drafted into some fantastical war that wasn't their responsibility.

Marinette had no want to solve someone else's problems.

She stood up, chair scraping across the floor.

The eyes in the room looked her way.

She didn't feel anything.

Marinette looked directly at the princess and calmly asked, “May I be excused?”

There was silence.

She didn't look away.

“Yes,” Alya said, standing upright with a sigh. “You may. I suppose telling you all of this at once is too overwhelming.”

Marinette didn't say anything in return to that.

She approached the door, stopping in front of the sword that was in her way. And when she met the guard's gaze without flinching, the blade was slowly retracted, allowing her to push the door open and wander into the hall.

She walked without looking back.

-x-

There was a knock at her door that evening.

Marinette cracked the door open to see who it was, stepping back in time to avoid the wood slamming into her face.

It was the girl that had smashed her plate on the floor.

“You!” was the greeting she got.

Marinette frowned. “What's your name again?”

“Alix,” she responded, slamming the door shut and closing the distance between them. “What the fuck was that this morning? I can't believe you'd be so— _so—_ ”

They almost looked like friends; both with their hair dyed pink and matching outfits that surely singled them out compared to the others.

Marinette interrupted with, “Are you here to shout at me?”

“You left!” Alix accused, jabbing her in the chest with a finger. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“There's no point fighting,” she responded, sitting on the edge of the single bed she'd been provided. While Alix was fuming and needed to get her anger out somehow, Marinette was resigned and tired. “I'd rather fade into the background than stand out because of my temper.”

Alix's face was getting red. “Are you fucking forgetting we've been kidnapped?”

“We're surrounded by guards that are willingly to stab us if we misbehave,” she pointed out. “How would arguing with the princess solve anything?”

Alix's wise decision was to kick her chair over.

The thick boots prevented her from getting hurt.

“The others told me not to bother with you,” Alix spat out, hands clenched into fists. “You—I thought you were just unfriendly, but you're not even talking to us at a time like this.”

Marinette frowned. “None of you have tried to talk to me.”

“That's not—” Alix pursed her lips.

“I get it,” she said, resting her hands on the bed and leaning back. “You're friends and I'm the new kid, even now. Why would you stick to me in a scary situation?”

Alix snorted. “Scary is an understatement.”

“There'll be a chance to escape in the future,” Marinette told her, looking up at the ceiling. “Until then, I'm not going to risk my life.”

“What?” Alix's face twisted in disgust. “You're going to play along and be a good dog?”

“Are you forgetting they have actual swords?” she questioned, glancing at her with raised eyebrows. “This isn't our home. There's no one protecting us, and from how they're keeping us locked up here, I'm willing to bet that no one knows of our existence. If we can't prove to be useful, they'll probably kill us.”

“You don't—”

Marinette fell back on her mattress. “Think the worst and you won't be disappointed, Alix.”

There was a quiet laugh. “If I knew you were so fucking depressing, I wouldn't have come in here.”

“I'd like to think I'm smart,” she mused. “Tell the others, if you want. The sooner that we're trusted, the closer we'll be to leaving.”

Alix was incredulous as she asked, “You really think that'll work?”

“What other choice have we got?” Marinette questioned. “It's useless teaming up to take out one guard when there's countless others throughout the castle. We'll only get so far before we're caught.”

“Kim has a black belt.”

“Good for them?” Marinette laughed. “Is that against weapons? Otherwise we're doomed.”

There was no response to that.

“Being mad at me won't help,” she told Alix.

“I'm not mad, I'm disappointed,” Alix responded without missing a beat.

She smiled. “Okay, mother.”

“For real, I pity you,” Alix replied, footsteps audible before she came to stand at the edge of the bed to be visible. “You're too willing to lick their boots.”

With a laugh, Marinette asked, “When did I say I'd do that?”

Alix frowned. “You—”

“You've seen crime shows, haven't you?” Marinette sat up, tilting her head to click her neck. “Think about what you're supposed to do if you're kidnapped by a murderer. That's the situation we're in, isn't it?”

Alix shifted her feet.

“Think the worst,” she reminded her. “And leave me alone, please.”

Alix bristled. “What? We're not fucking good enough for you?”

She plainly said, “I'm pretty sure you don't even remember my name.”

With her hand clenched in a fist, Alix looked close to punching her before she turned on her heel and promptly left the room, slamming the door shut loudly behind her.

That was the answer she needed.

Marinette ran her fingers through her hair, admiring the pink dye that had stained the strands that looked to be less vibrant than Alix's.

It was a good choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) (✿´ ꒳ ` )❤


	2. 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari and co. arrived in fleur-ha, princess alya said hi and lost her cool, and half of mari's class got banished because they didn't qualify to fight the demon king.
> 
> i currently have eight chapters of this typed up and ready. although i want to try and commit to posting regularly, i can only promise an update every friday for the next... two(?) months before there's a chance my attention goes somewhere else. this is a fun slow burn and i've really enjoyed writing it so far!! i hope that enthusiasm stays because it's turned into mari and kagami bonding stupidly and i'm vibing.
> 
> thank you for all the isekai recommendations!! my sleep has greatly suffered ( *ˊᵕˋ)

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

The following day, a doctor came to visit each of their rooms.

It was then that their names were taken.

“Mari,” she decided. “My name is Mari.”

Unlike back at home, the check-up involved the doctor holding up a crystal to their forehead and waiting for it to pulse. The doctor patiently explained that they'd been trained to read the results, an answer to a question that she hadn't asked.

The meal after was filled with whispers about magic.

If the sight of a new world out of the castle windows wasn't enough to convince everyone that they weren't on Earth any more, a glowing crystal did the trick.

It was Damocles that returned to brief them.

“The princess is preoccupied today,” was his greeting, a hand going to his heart as he gave them a half-bow. “I have been assigned to talk to you.”

Surprisingly, there wasn't any protest to that.

Alix avoided eye contact with her.

It was all the confirmation she needed that the others had been informed on what to do.

Damocles didn't sit down.

“Princess Alya is assigning knights to each of you,” he started, placing his hands behind his back gracefully. “Once they have been decided, your rooms will be transferred to a different wing of the castle and you will be granted access to the training grounds.”

Alix was the one to burst out with, “You're still spouting that bullshit that we're going to fight for _you_?”

Damocles stared at her, blank-faced.

Alix didn't look away from him.

Marinette would've kicked her under the table if they were sat closer together.

“It's the king's order,” Damocles proclaimed.

Someone snorted.

“If that displeases you, I've been instructed to leave you here for weeks more until you're... agreeable,” Damocles said, tilting his head as his gaze went to each of them. “I'm sure it's been a pleasant time to be cooped up with only fairy tales to read.”

There wasn't a single book that had information about Fleur-Ha.

The children's books were filled with bright colours, drawings that ranged from scribbles to beautiful images, and the hard-covers of the books were leather and deserved to be called tomes because were far too high-quality to be intended for children.

It was a quiet voice that requested, “Let us see our friends.”

Damocles questioned, “Friends?”

“The ones you kicked out!” Alix all but shouted, jumping up to her feet. Unlike all the other times, the guards' hands didn't wander to their weapons. Perhaps, they'd gotten used to Alix's behaviour already. “I want to see that Kim's okay!”

That—

That was the name of her friend with the black belt, wasn't it?

Damocles frowned. “That is not possible.”

Alix slammed her hands down on the table. “You banished them without giving us a chance to talk!”

“They are not worthy to be within the castle,” he replied, smoothing out his blazer, drawing attention to the shiny brooch on his lapel. “It is only natural that they were escorted somewhere suitable.”

Marinette put her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand as she watched the scene unfold.

“Suitable?” a woman questioned, standing up and joining Alix on her feet. “What did they fail during the examination? There weren't any tests and you didn't take any of our details until today.”

Damocles shook his head with a laugh. “Your eyes.”

“Eyes?” one repeated, confused.

“Your eyes,” Damocles repeated, tapping below his own. “Only those with colour are able to practise magic. It has since died out in our land.”

Marinette's eyes were blue.

“Colour has left our eyes for centuries now,” he gravely told them clenching a hand into a fist to express his emotions. “And yet, the demons have retained theirs. The power imbalance has only gotten worse because of this.”

“You call us because of—of genetics?” was the spluttered response to that.

Damocles bowed, one hand on his heart. “The princess will return with your assigned knights in the upcoming week.”

“Hey! Wait—” Alix called out.

And yet, Damocles walked through the doors without looking back at them.

Marinette let out a breath.

-x-

By the time the princess returned with knights, Marinette had been on Fleur-Ha for four weeks.

During that time, Alix had barged into her room almost nightly, dragging along a blonde-haired girl named Aurore with her.

Other than meals, Marinette stayed in her bedroom. She spent her spare time alternating between working out and lazing around on her bed. The books she'd been provided had all been read, the fairy tales not offering any information to them.

And while she'd thought she wasn't handling the isolation well, it was nothing compared to some of the others.

The guards never spoke to them.

Meals were either glum or filled with chatter, trying to fill in the silence with rambling. As soon as anyone mentioned their home, the atmosphere was ruined and someone excused themselves first to leave and cry in their bedroom.

Aurore joked that the three of them were the blue-eyed gang.

“What the fuck are they even on about?” Alix questioned, turning her hand over to stare at her palm. “Magic? I can't even do a backflip, what are they expecting me to do?”

Aurore hummed, crossing her arms. “Use technology, maybe? I mean, I'd guess that's it since this seems so... backwards, but there was that glowing crystal before.”

“This is stupid,” Alix grumbled, falling back against the floor with a sigh. “And do you know what's even weirder?”

“What?” Marinette questioned, one knee by her chest for her to rest her head on. The days they'd spent lazing on her floor had made her feel more accustomed to the stone.

“My period's late,” Alix started, holding up one finger before adding another as she continued to speak. “And my hair hasn't grown, like, at all. Normally I'd have to bleach it by now—”

Aurore's brow furrowed. “Now that you mention it...”

“That's fucked up, right?”

“What about you, Mari?” Aurore asked. “Mine's late, too.”

She breathed out audibly. “We don't belong here.”

Alix replied to that, “What?”

“We're not from here,” Marinette said, gesturing to the window behind her. “Our bodies—it's like they're stuck, don't you think? I haven't had to shave more than once since I've gotten here.”

Aurore was sceptical. “You—you think _what_?”

She shrugged. “What's the other explanation? They've told us that they can't use magic.”

“Yet they can use a magic rock,” Alix grumbled. “They're clearly not telling us the fucking truth—just letting us rot until we agree to join a war.”

It was a revelation that was shared by all of them.

The days passed slowly.

As before, they were in the dining hall when a visitor came.

Princess Alya was as well put together as before; a flowing dress, that looked more expensive than anything Marinette had seen in days, and a practised smile as she glanced at everyone sitting at the table.

“Hello,” Alya greeted. “I have good news for everyone. Your new accommodations have been sorted.”

There wasn't a single response to that.

Alya cleared her throat. “If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your new wing.”

The abundance of guards made it clear that there wouldn't be any escaping. And as they walked through the castle, up staircases and finally leaving where they'd been summoned, there wasn't much time to inspect the new areas before they were guided to a corridor filled with ten doors.

Each room had a nameplate.

“Your knights are inside,” Alya explained, gesturing towards the hallway. “They have been instructed to protect you during the day and answer suitable questions.”

Information was still being restricted.

“I must take my leave now,” Alya said, offering them another rehearsed smile. “In the morning, your knights will be by your sides until the sun sets.”

There wasn't any room for complaints, was there?

No one tried to talk back to her.

It was better than when Damocles had visited.

Marinette glanced to the side to see Alix clenching her hands into fists, agitated.

It was growth for her to hold her tongue.

And with that, the princess turned and left, her own guards following after her. Guards were stationed in the hallway to stop them from escaping, the other end of the hallway a wall with a window to peer outside, and it seemed just as restrictive as the last area.

Marinette sighed.

Everyone was standing there, awkwardly inspecting each of the doors to see where they'd been placed.

Marinette knocked on her door before entering.

Her knight was a woman.

Black hair, brown eyes that symbolised that she had no magic, and a blank expression that wasn't welcoming in the slightest.

The sword on her hip had a jewel by the handle.

Instead of interrogating her, Marinette inspected the room. It was bigger than her last, another shelf on her bookcase filled, and the bed was spacious enough to roll over without falling off of the mattress.

She picked a book, reading it until a guard knocked on her door to escort her to the dining hall.

Her knight didn't say anything.

The unimpressed expression had been all she'd needed to see.

There wasn't anything she'd learn that the others wouldn't when the information was being monitored.

-x-

It was three nights before Alix barged into her bedroom, Aurore behind her.

Marinette's assigned knight had disappeared for the evening, trading over and leaving when the sun set to the guards outside. There had been no conversations between them.

The others had different results.

“This is so fucking stupid,” Alix seethed, flopping down on Marinette's bed and mumbling into her pillow. “This—I was supposed to be going crazy from trying to study, not be in some medieval castle.”

“It's hardly medieval,” Marinette remarked.

“Yes, thank you for your insight,” Alix retorted, rolling over to glare at her. “Do you even know your knight's name yet?”

Marinette smiled. “No.”

Alix pulled a face. “You're stupid.”

“Why does it matter?” Aurore said, echoing Marinette's thoughts. “We're all learning the same shit anyway.”

“How are you going to convince someone to let you escape if you don't make try and befriend them?” Alix replied, exasperated. “For someone that says you've got this all planned out, you clearly don't.”

Marinette tapped her chin. “It's a slow burn kind of plan.”

“I'm sure it is,” Aurore agreed with a smile. “A stupid one.”

“Thank you!” Alix exclaimed.

There hadn't been any gossiping during meals about what they'd found out. When the sun was up outside of the dining hall, everyone spent one-on-one time with their knight, secluded and kept apart.

“They're serious about training us,” Alix glumly said, hands on her cheeks. “But we don't even know what kind of magic they're talking about. More weird glowing crystals? That doesn't sound cool _at all_.”

“I have no idea,” Aurore responded, running her fingers through her blonde hair. “I don't even understand how any of this works. I mean, they have to have electricity, right? But my knight laughed at me when I asked? There's no candles either.”

Marinette looked at the wall. “There's a light switch.”

“There's no cars,” Alix pointed out. “I can see horses in the street from my window.”

“It's backwards,” Aurore mumbled, starting to braid the loose strands. “But can we really judge it by our standards? Princess Alya _did_ say that it's a different world.”

“Go with it,” Marinette agreed, looking at her nails that hadn't grown. “Agreeing to their terms will have them hurry the process along, right? Their desperation is why we're here.”

Alix muttered to that, “A fucking ritual is why.”

“That sounds magical, doesn't it?” she mused, brushing stray strands of hair behind her ear. “And since the knights aren't telling us anything, they don't want us to know how they did it.”

Aurore sighed. “Does it even matter when they can't send us back?”

Marinette tilted her. “And you believe them?”

“I—what?” Aurore questioned.

“They haven't proved that,” she pointed out. “Innocent until proven guilty isn't what we should go by when we've been kidnapped, is it?”

Alix frowned. “They won't tell us anything.”

“Slow burn,” Marinette reminded. “You have to work for what you want, right?”

Apart from Alix and Aurore, her conversations with her other class-mates were in the dining hall, clipped and short. Marinette had no interest in bonding with them when her room was constantly being barged into to provide her the interaction she was missing.

Her knight stayed silent by her side during the day.

Marinette worked her way through the bookcase.

The next time Damocles came, no one had an aggressive outburst or shouted at him.

And thus, they were granted access to the training grounds.

The name was misleading.

Marinette hadn't been the only one under the impression that they'd been allowed outside.

It was a large room with targets and a wooden floor with scratches on it from use. Wooden dummies had been pushed aside and stacked up, not set out for them to use, and there wasn't any furniture inside.

As she looked into the room with the others, just as stumped from the expectations that were placed on them, the first word her knight spoke to her was, “Come.”

Marinette stared at her.

Her knight stared back.

She tilted her head, curious.

Her knight turned, walking down the hallway, making it clear that she wanted her to follow.

They arrived at a library.

Her knight stopped in front of a specific bookcase, finger trailing along the spines of the books—that still qualified to be called something as fancy as a tome instead—before plucking one out and shoving it into Marinette's hands.

She fumbled, almost dropping it.

The cover was blank.

Marinette flipped to the first page.

It was a book about magic.

And when she looked up, her knight didn't avert her gaze.

With a sigh, she sat down on the floor, back against the bookcase as she turned to the next page and started to read.

It became a tradition after that.

The other knights were working under the impression that reciting what needed to be done to her class-mates was how their powers would manifest. Marinette's knight never brought her to the training ground after the first day, instead walking to the library and expecting her to follow, plucking out the same book for her to finish without exchanging another word between them.

Aurore made it into the library once before saying that the book was too confusing.

Marinette didn't complain.

The first outburst of magic came within their second month there.

The princess hadn't visited again, neither had Damocles since he'd stated they were going to be trained in the future. It seemed that they had no intention of being involved unless there were results.

It was a quiet boy that conjured it first.

Nathaniel, that was his name.

He'd laughed at a joke, fumbled with his cutlery, and it hovered an inch from the ground when it fell out of his hand.

“I—something's happened?” he choked out, panicked.

Even a guard inched closer to see.

“Dude!” Alix screeched, clapping him harshly on the shoulder that the sound filled the room. “You fucking did it, what the hell?”

It clattered to the floor.

“I don't know how,” Nathaniel stuttered, staring at his hand in wonder. “It—it just happened? I wasn't even thinking about it.”

From Alix's, and everyone else's encouragement, he tried to recreate the magic without any luck. He went from clenching his hands in different ways, squeezing his eyes shut and wishing for it to happen, to slumping on the table and throwing the fork over his shoulder.

It didn't happen again.

Still, it was an achievement that he'd managed it at all.

“It's astounding that you were able to do that,” Marinette told him with a smile. “You should be proud.”

“Thank—thank you.” He scratched his cheek. “I didn't think it would ever really happen, you know? It... I still feel like this a dream—a bad one, but still a dream.”

“Does your knight not want you to go to the library?” she questioned.

He blinked. “Eh?”

“If you read it for yourself,” she started, fiddling with the sleeve of her shirt. “You might find it easier to come to terms with what's happened—and what's going to happen in the future.”

Nathaniel swallowed. “He said he's telling me what I need to know.”

“I'm not saying he's not,” she answered, showing her palms in an attempt to prove she wasn't trying to start a fight. “I've never been athletic, so I've always learned better from reading. I don't know how it is for you.”

He sighed at that. “Me neither.”

“So far, I'm the only one in the library most days,” Marinette revealed. “It's calm in a way I expect clenching your muscles daily isn't.”

He let out a laugh at that. “It is a bit ridiculous what they make us do.”

“Warm-ups, right?” she asked.

“And trying to visualise what we want,” he explained with a shrug. “I thought I wouldn't be able to do it since I can't imagine it at all. But tonight—”

“I read that it'll take a different amount of time for our magic to settle before we can use it,” Marinette told him. “Did Alix forget to mention that?”

“Are you fucking badmouthing me?” Alix exclaimed from across the room, marching over at the sound of her name. “I'm not going to let you corrupt Nath of all people—”

Marinette smiled. “Are you saving him?”

Nathaniel panicked and tried to say, “It's okay—”

“We're not fighting over you,” Alix proclaimed, pointing at him. “If anyone deserves to get tips, it's me for putting up with your ass for years, not some weirdo that clearly copied my hair.”

“I had it before I met you,” she quipped.

Alix glared at her. “It suits me better.”

“I'm sure it does,” Marinette agreed.

Alix pulled a face. “It creeps me out when you're nice to me.”

“I've never not been nice to you,” she replied, tilting her head. “Have I?”

“You're weird, that's what,” Alix said, wrapping her arm around Nathaniel's and tugging him across the room without a word of good-bye.

She watched them leave, realising that she was the only one left.

Her knight was standing by the door, blank-faced as ever.

Marinette breathed out slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) (ㆁωㆁ*)♥


	3. 03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari decided her name, learned that only people without brown eyes could use magic, met her assigned knight, and nathaniel was the first to accidentally use magic.
> 
> and now it is time for kagami to finally speak. i've tried my best with her character but i've never really had her have a main role in a story before? i hope she's somewhat likeable as she's going to appear much more often than chloé (who still hasn't appeared past chapter ten). also this is a reminder that this story is a slow burn. since the chapters are so short, it'll take longer to get to the juicy bits.

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

It was accepted that they weren't ageing.

However, the strange part was that their bodies could still be damaged and heal. Marinette had gotten cuts on her hands from where she'd fallen over.

She wondered whether her class-mates that had been evicted knew about that yet.

Although Alix was determined to see her friends—as were the others—they were being smarter about it, devoting their time to listening to their knights' advice and attempting to practice magic.

Marinette continued to read.

Her knight stood beside her at first before sitting down in a chair, arms crossed and staring off into the distance.

It seemed like a boring job.

At dinner, the others asked her whether she'd learned anything new in the library. Their knights had retired and swapped with the guards that would constantly look at them. The dining hall wasn't somewhere to conspire, yet she felt awkward when they kept drawing her into conversation and attempting to be her friend.

The plan in the beginning had been to be indifferent to them.

That wasn't an option any more when Alix and Aurore barged into her room without knocking, or Nathaniel tentatively asked about her day when she sat down.

“The type of magic we'll be able to excel in differs per person,” Marinette answered, taking a sip of her drink. “The books said that it's rare for you to truly master more than one type.”

“So, that means—”

“If we consider this in game terms... that means levitation is my special attack, right?” Nathaniel questioned, looking down at his hand. “As in, as good at all the other types of magic I may be, it'll always be my best.”

“I don't know.” She shrugged. “That's all it said.”

It didn't need to be said that they were only being supplied what had been approved.

In the following weeks, some of them got close to their knights. Alix was happy to talk about hers and how he was better at demonstrating what he wanted her to do than telling her, and it seemed that despite the resentment for being taken away from their world, some were opening up about their new surroundings.

Marinette didn't know her knight's name.

All they did was walk to the dining hall and library, selected books being put into her hands instead of being allowed to roam the shelves and pick something herself.

“They're not so bad?” Aurore offered, pulling her knees up to her chest to rest her chin on them. “It's not like they're abusing us or anything. And as annoying as it is that they can't tell us anything, they're only doing their job, right?”

Alix snorted. “It's not much of a job being trapped inside all day, is it?”

“They're trusted to keep us here,” Marinette pointed out. “And their swords have jewels on them, unlike the guards.”

With a frown, Alix asked, “You think they're ranked higher?”

“We're supposed to be precious,” Marinette reminded her. “And we're constantly under supervision. You wouldn't trust anyone with this job, would you? No matter how mundane it is.”

“Supposed to be,” Aurore muttered. “I think they've forgotten about us at this point.”

“It hasn't been two months yet,” she responded. “And we're not trusted.”

Alix slumped against the stone floor. There was enough room for all three of them on the bed, but their time on the floor before had made it a habit.

“There's probably more they can tell us,” Marinette mused, idly braiding her hair. “But you're not going to arm strangers with magic that can ruin a kingdom.”

“Is this a kingdom?” Aurore questioned, looking over to the window. “I admit, I still have no idea about this place.”

Alix grumbled at that, “Because they're not fucking telling us.”

“There's a king and a princess,” she replied. “And they refer to the enemy as another king, despite him not actually have that title.”

“Yeah, and that's all we fucking know about him,” Alix retorted. “Yeah, great! Let's go fight this random guy that we don't even know the agenda of!”

Aurore hummed. “What if we're on the bad guy's side instead?”

“Or if there's no conflict at all,” Marinette pitched in. “We've seen no evidence of anything yet.”

“Is it too much to ask for a pen?” Alix complained, rolling over and pressing her cheek against the cold floor. “Or a piece of paper? I'm not asking for much. I'm so fucking bored.”

“You could always cut yourself and draw with your blood,” she remarked.

Alix kicked her.

-x-

It was near to the third month when almost everyone had manifested their magic.

Marinette had no luck.

She stared down at her hand.

Her knight had brought her into the training grounds that day, sitting down beside her away from the others that were practising. Alix and Aurore were overjoyed and excited for their developments, listening to their knights and doing what they suggested to attempt to make the magic come out again and study whether there were any differences, while the others were doing much the same.

There was no success.

For the others, it had appeared when they weren't trying. Nathaniel dropped his spoon, Alix fell over, Aurore had gotten her hair caught—

And nothing had happened for her.

It made no sense for her knight to take her to the training grounds after being so adamant that the library was the right choice.

Sitting crossed-legged, Marinette stared at her knight for an answer.

Her knight stared back, blank-faced.

She sighed.

And then, her knight stood up and started towards the door without looking back to see if she was following her. Marinette stood up, hobbling from her numb leg from sitting still from so long, and stumbled after her.

Rather than the library, their destination was Marinette's bedroom.

Marinette stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

Her knight broke the silence to say, “You have no mana.”

She blinked. “I... don't?”

Mana wasn't something anyone else had mentioned yet.

“Your body should have adapted to our environment by now,” her knight stated, as emotionless as her expression.

“They said the ritual's only been done once before.” Marinette frowned. “It's different for everyone.”

Her knight said nothing.

She sighed. “What is mana?”

“It is what allows you to cast spells,” was the simple response she got to that.

“None of the books you gave me mentioned that,” Marinette warily replied, curious to see whether she'd get an answer. “Why are you telling me now?”

“You are behind.”

She said to that, “I'm a slow learner.”

Her knight stared at her.

Marinette didn't look away.

It seemed to be a common occurrence between them.

“Your mana will grow with continued exposure to magic,” eventually came out.

Her brow furrowed. “But the others weren't exposed to it in the first place?”

Her knight sighed before nearing the door, instead moving the switch to turn the light off.

There was barely any light coming through the window in the late afternoon.

Her knight turned it back on.

And when she saw Marinette's confused expression, she repeated it, turning it on and off.

“That's—you're telling me that's magic?” she questioned, incredulous.

All she got as an answer was, “Yes.”

And as soon as she opened her mouth to reply, Marinette thought better of it, pursing her lips. Assumptions weren't going to help her when so many things were being kept from her—Damocles and the princess hadn't visited for weeks, instead leaving them to converse with knights and guards only, and the books provided weren't telling them anything.

For once, Marinette had to be the one to remind her class-mates that the city they were in was called Lyss-Ria.

Or was it the country?

Alya was the princess of Lyss-Ria, that's all she could remember.

Marinette had never paid attention to the details of royalty before.

If her knight was telling her that the lights were operated by magic, she wasn't going to argue that.

With an awkward laugh, Marinette asked, “You're not telling me to spend my day turning the light on and off, are you?”

Her knight stared before turning the light off again.

Unfortunately, Marinette really did stand there for an extended period of time playing with the lights. She did ask whether the plumbing was magical, though she got no response from her knight who'd chosen to sat on the edge of the bed with her hands on her knees, staring at her.

She didn't feel any different when they parted ways.

After her meals, she was taken back to her bedroom. Marinette shot her knight a look of disbelief that they'd be doing the same thing again.

Her knight leaned against the wall. “I am not a teacher.”

She awkwardly replied, “Yeah, that's kind of obvious.”

Blankly, her knight said, “I do not understand the information I have been given.”

“Me neither,” she agreed.

There was a brief silence.

Her knight frowned. “Your world has no magic.”

“None,” Marinette confirmed with a nod, settling down on the floor and getting comfortable. “And no one uses swords any more. It's completely different.”

Her knight nodded slowly.

Marinette cleared her throat. “What's your name?”

“Kagami.”

“...Nice to meet you?” It came out sounding like a question.

Kagami stared at her flatly.

It had taken her weeks to ask, after all. She deserved that rude kind of reaction.

“I do not know of Earth.”

Marinette replied, “I don't know this place.”

Kagami crossed her arms.

The atmosphere in the room with stifling. While she'd seen her class-mates laugh with each other and freely interact with their knights—rather than taking out their anger of the situation on them—she wasn't in the same position.

The resentment she'd felt building in her over all that time didn't make it so she wanted to befriend the person watching her.

She fiddled with the laces on her boots. “What happens if I have no mana?”

“You will,” Kagami responded without hesitation.

“If,” Marinette repeated.

It was shot down instantly. “It is not possible.”

“You don't know that!” she exclaimed, raising her voice in frustration.

Unlike the guards that had postured and made it clear they weren't there to be shouted at, Kagami didn't react; she was blank-faced with her arms crossed, simply staring to see whether she'd have another outburst.

Marinette let out an audible breath. “There's no chance I'll be banished with the others?”

“There are records of anyone with coloured eyes failing to be a mage,” Kagami informed her stoically. “Your body is adjusting.”

“My body's been here _months_.”

“Humans are not the same,” Kagami replied.

She didn't need to be told that by someone from another world.

-x-

It happened during dinner.

Their knights had swapped over with the guards, leaving after escorting them to the dining hall, and the conversation stayed between class-mates. As friendly as knights had been, the guards were distant and avoided talking to them still.

It was infuriating.

Nathaniel was tentatively levitating a vegetable from his plate to his friend's encouragement.

Aurore nudged Marinette's side. “Don't look so glum.”

“Glum?” she questioned.

“You're burning a hole in Nathaniel's head,” Aurore told her.

“I'm watching,” she explained with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I'm not cursing him and waiting him to die or anything.”

“...I'm sure.”

It wasn't resentment she felt for them.

All of the others had adapted to the new world; had developed mana and were able to use their magic clumsily on demand. It's what was wanted from them, after all, and the only way to allow them to exit the castle they were cooped up in.

The future was a bleak one where they'd be used as weapons. There was no getting out when her eyes was coloured any more.

Marinette was the one holding them up, wasn't she?

With her elbow on the table, she rested her head in her hand.

As depressing as life being escorted through one wing of the castle was, would it really be better outside of it? When the king would surely force them to use their powers to fight, disregarding their families and their pain was being taken away—

The others had adapted and started to be smart about their plans of escape.

It was trust that was needed to be there to be taken advantage of. The absence of Alya and Damocles meant they were being left alone until they were useful.

Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

Marinette looked at the single flower that was in the middle of the table, breathing out slowly.

It drooped.

And then, the petals fell as it withered, looking aged and dying in a matter of moments.

Aurore jumped to her feet, pointing to the vase. “The flower—”

Marinette blinked.

By process of elimination, it was decided that it had been Marinette's magic to cause the flower to die. No one else had caused such an effect before, let alone been able to conjure a different type of magic to the first they'd experienced.

It hadn't felt like anything had happened.

Through the chatter, she watched a guard slip out of the door, surely to inform the higher-ups of what had happened.

There had been no rush of power, no tingling in her fingertips, and definitely no sensation of warmth from being able to use magic; rather, if everyone else hadn't realised their primary skill already, she wouldn't have believed that it was because of her.

Marinette didn't feel happy about it.

It was proof that her body was changing, regardless of the fact that she wouldn't age. There wouldn't be a time where she'd grow older with her family, not when she'd been robbed of that with the promise of no return.

Kagami didn't question her about it the next day.

She was escorted to the library instead.

Other knights were there with their charges, either picking out books before taking them back to the training grounds or sitting down at an available desk.

While Kagami searched for a book, Marinette sat down, resting her eyes as waited for the time to pass. There was no entertainment when all there was for comfort were fairy tales in the bedroom, a knight keeping guard and directing them on what to do during the day. Kagami might've been the least talkative and most happy to let Marinette sit there in silence instead of trying to punch the air, but that didn't mean that it felt like her time was fulfilling.

It was the most hopeless Marinette had ever felt.

Before she could think better of it, she asked quietly, “Why are you here?”

Kagami didn't turn around. “It is my duty.”

“To babysit a foreigner?” she muttered.

“To protect you,” Kagami responded.

Marinette rubbed her eyes with her palms to try and make herself more alert. “There's nothing to protect me from when I haven't been outside of these walls.”

Kagami stood on her toes to reach the top shelf. “You will.”

“I will?” she questioned, bitter. “When I fight for you?”

The book presented to her was another one covered in leather.

Kagami stood there, as stiff and blank-faced as ever as she stated, “I am fighting for you.”

“Me?” Marinette laughed, the sound insincere and forced. “You're doing your job.”

“Which is to protect you,” Kagami repeated.

She nodded. “To protect the valuable goods.”

Kagami didn't answer that.

The book was the first one to mention mana. While it didn't explain exactly what it was, it gave rough details about how much mana was required for each type of magic—

And hers had the highest cost.

It made sense why it had taken her so long to present, then.

And with that thought in mind, Marinette accepted that it could be weeks before she could recreate the scene. Her class-mates had troubles performing a fraction of what they were capable of after resting, even those with the lowest mana costs.

Marinette felt nauseated while reading through it all.

There had been so many categories, different types of magic that had to have been present in the world before, enough to fill out a book with what people's original manifestation had been. It said that anyone with coloured eyes could grow and learn another type—to do simple things such as brew potions and enchant objects for everyday life—yet it was all the violent magic that was listed down that made her feel sick.

That's what they were wanted for, wasn't it?

They hadn't been summoned to charm light switches since electricity didn't exist.

It had only drawn attention to her.

Marinette closed the book with a sigh. “You're not going to make me kill small animals, are you?”

Kagami tilted her head.

She swallowed.

To that, Kagami questioned, “Would you want to?”

“No,” she denied without pausing to think about it. “I'm not—you can't make me practice on anything living.”

“The flower was living.”

“It was dying without my assistance,” she muttered, pushing the book away and pressing her cheek against the cold desk. She could still see Kagami from her position.

Kagami simply said, “I am to train you.”

“Train me to kill things, literally,” Marinette remarked with a laugh that was aimed more at herself. “That's fitting, isn't it? My initial magic's the best out of everyone for this.”

“I will protect you,” Kagami told her.

It didn't make her feel any better.

“From myself?” she questioned, stretched out her arm and staring at her hand in the fading sunlight. “I can make things wither and die. That means I can kill myself, right?”

Kagami paused briefly before confirming, “That has been recorded before, yes.”

Her smile didn't reach her eyes. “Not in the book you gave me.”

“The palace doesn't own such books.”

“You're telling me this place doesn't have everything in life?” Marinette let out another laugh. “That's surprising. I think these stones walls will be all I see for the rest of mine.”

Kagami stayed silent.

“Unless I kill myself,” she murmured, closing her eyes. “But I wouldn't want here to be the last thing I see.”

There was no sincerity when Kagami repeated, “I will protect you.”

Marinette breathed out slowly.

“You do that,” she said, almost wistfully. “I wonder, how much is the reward to get me on the battlefield?”

“There is no such reward,” Kagami replied.

“No?” she questioned, opening her eyes to show Kagami another forced smile. “Have you been paid already for taking this position?”

And for once, Kagami looked away.

It wasn't a small victory that she could rejoice about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) (ㆁωㆁ*)❤


	4. 04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** kagami taught mari about mana, mari made a flower wilt with her magic, and kagami kept vowing to protect her. 
> 
> okay, the plan was to update every friday but i got really excited for chapter eleven and realised it would be... so long before then. i'm impatient and terrible at commitment. friendships need to be built before we can get to the good stuff, sadly. mari and kagami start to get along more now!! they are my children now. i've recovered from crying about chloé not being here yet because i'm liking kagami more and more.

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

Damocles returned to them.

Marinette wished he'd stayed gone.

“Greetings,” he said, hand over his heart and performing a half-bow. “The king is pleased with your progress reports.”

Those were the exact words that she hadn't wanted to hear.

And judging from the expressions from her companions, they had the same thoughts. The one that was worst at hiding her emotions—even worse than Marinette—was Alix who was gritting her teeth and smiling in a way that looked more to be a grimace.

“Another check-up is in order to make sure that you're in perfect health,” Damocles proclaimed, gesturing towards the door. “When I call your name, I'd appreciate it if you followed your knight to your destination.”

Marinette shot a pointed look at hers.

Kagami was focused on Damocles, ignoring her.

“I understand that your time here has been... distressing,” he said, choosing the last word carefully. “I hope you've had time to settle in and acquaint yourself with this lifestyle.”

Nathaniel's food had started to levitate off of the plate before someone jabbed him lightly in the ribs.

Damocles smiled at that. “Yes, I am aware that your powers are starting to—act up, shall we say? The explanation we've been able to find for that is because your mana isn't consistent right now.”

Was that supposed to be the first time they'd heard that word?

Marinette had been the one to tell the others about mana.

“It is because of that that we've decided that you'll focus on potions first,” Damocles revealed with a smile, clasping his hands together in front of him. “Mana, of course. They will be beneficial for you while you're growing—after that, we'll focus on the other types.”

No one fought him.

It was an accepted truth that fighting back would do nothing.

Their powers were still developing; even if they managed to escape, the world was an unknown one where they wouldn't be able to live without guidance. Their existence was sure to be a secret, and the sight of their eyes would only startle those that they came across.

Marinette had thought about that a lot.

She dug her nails into her palms.

And then, Damocles said, “We'll begin the testing now. Mari, if you'd please follow your knight outside.”

Her stomach felt tight.

It wasn't alphabetical order.

She avoided looking Damocles in the eyes as she walked past.

-x-

Potions, as it turned out, was like cooking.

There wasn't any magical ingredients that looked strange or otherworldly; rather, it was following specific instructions before imbuing the cauldron—actual tiny cauldrons that they had over the stove in the palace's kitchen—with magic.

It sounded easier in theory.

There wasn't enough room to have all ten of them, their knights, and instructors within the kitchen. It didn't seem to be the main one where their meals came from, not when it was down a winding staircase and further in the castle than they'd been allowed before, so there was no chance to meet the staff that had been preparing their meals.

Marinette was paired up with Nathaniel.

The instructor told them that they'd consume their own potions to replenish their mana and make it easier for them to practise. It combated her waiting weeks for it to produce naturally and sitting on the sidelines.

“You okay, Mari?” Nathaniel questioned.

She sighed. “I'm bored.”

“We haven't even been here for thirty minutes yet,” he replied, amused. “And we have stools this time. It's much better, right?”

“I guess,” she muttered, kicking her feet from where she was too high off the ground. “I've never been a fan of cooking. I'm not patient enough.”

“You'll stop complaining when you eat your mana soup,” he said with a laugh. “I didn't expect to feel _that_ different from drinking it.”

Marinette made a non-committal noise.

Nathaniel leaned closer to whisper, “If you continue to look suicidal, they'll think something is wrong.”

“There is,” she muttered.

“Put on a smile and act,” he advised. “They're paying more attention to you now.”

She sighed louder.

Surprisingly, the only difference between a normal person making the potion and her was that she could make it restore mana. If someone with brown eyes made it, it really would be soup.

The act of imbuing it with magic meant putting her hand over the cauldron and wishing for it to do what she wanted.

“What if I wanted it to kill me instead?” Marinette questioned, holding her hand above the steam and staring at the bubbling contents. It smelled herbal. “That sounds like it would be a good potion.”

“Different ingredients, I think?” Nathaniel responded, thoughtful. “This is all we've been told to make so far, so I can't be too sure. It would be weird if they all used the same stuff.”

“Before they start using us to make money,” she mused.

“They can't do that without announcing that they have magic users,” he countered. “That would be counterproductive to keeping us hidden here for so long.”

She clicked her tongue. “I didn't ask for you to be a voice of reason.”

“I'm being smart,” Nathaniel replied, pushing his hair out of his face. “This—anything we make, it's the first potions in decades. Word would get out and people would demand for more.”

“Kagami,” she called out, looking over her shoulder to where her knight was sitting down with Nathaniel's. “No one knows we're here, right?”

Kagami stared at her.

“Can you drink other potions?” she questioned.

Nathaniel's knight pursed his lips.

Kagami didn't say anything.

“In theory, I mean,” she clarified. “I'm sure they'd all been used before you were born.”

Her knight's expression was as blank as ever.

“Well, that was informative,” Marinette muttered, turning back around and looking down at the contents of her cauldron again. “I do imagine it would be like if a new wonder drug came out for us. Someone greedy would get the rights to it and demand more money than it cost to make.”

Nathaniel whispered, “And in this case, it's the king.”

“Think he's as useful as royalty from our world?” she asked, half-joking.

Nathaniel grimaced, looking over his shoulder. “I think you should stop before you get stabbed.”

She laughed.

The potion she'd made was stored in small vials, small enough to fit multiple in a pouch she could attach to the belt of her trousers. Although the instructor told them to keep some with them daily to help with their training, the rest were to be stored in her room. It was advised to make them last until the following week when she'd be back in the kitchen.

It was a deviation from her boring life routine.

Marinette stretched her arms over her head.

With her first power awakened, the training that came wasn't as awful as she thought it was.

Kagami came in the morning with a plant in her hands.

There was an expectation for Marinette to make it wither and die and use mana potions until she was able to do it at least once.

The training for each of them was becoming more defined than sitting around and clenching, expecting something to happen. A few more rooms had opened up—bare without furniture in them—and there was distance between each of them to avoid any unnecessary harm.

“This isn't going to work,” Marinette said when she'd spent over a week staring at a plant that had already had to be replaced once because the petals had fallen off itself. “I don't hate anything about this plant.”

Kagami's response to that was, “Hate is not your power.”

“It's optimal to want to kill what I hate, no?” she replied with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. “Damocles will be my first target.”

“I will inform him of your decision,” Kagami said.

“Oh, take a joke,” Marinette muttered, slumping back in her chair. “Are you having fun reporting that I'm going stir-crazy?”

There was no reply to that.

While she was glad that they'd developed some sort of relationship, Kagami was a bore to talk to. She didn't reveal information easily, stayed quiet most of the time, and her blank face wasn't fun to tease.

She sighed. “Will our health potions go to the military?”

“You are making mana potions,” Kagami corrected.

“It's only natural for there to be health ones, no?” Marinette replied. “They're usually featured in fantasy things from my world if the concept of mana exists—well, if magic does at all. There's always some type of healing along with the other magic.”

Kagami said, “There is healing magic.”

She snapped her fingers. “I knew it!”

“The orders are for you to focus on your primary magic first.”

“So, murder magic,” Marinette remarked glumly, resting her head in her hand. “Are you sure that's a wise decision? I might make your hand wither away and fall off or something.”

Kagami replied, “It is my job to be here.”

“You're not my target,” she said. “Are you going to use that sparkly sword on me if I raise a hand at you?”

Her knight replied, “If I must.”

She snorted. “That makes me feel a lot better, thank you.”

There was silence after that.

Marinette lounged on the desk, arms stretched out with her head resting in it, her eyes closed as she breathed out slowly. The magic that everyone else had manifested wasn't as potentially dangerous as hers—the worst was Aurore who could make anything explode, like how she'd cut her hair when it had gotten caught.

Aurore had been mortified at the burnt and uneven ends she'd been left with.

She pulled a leaf off from the plant, running her fingertip over it.

It withered and curled into itself, losing colour in an instant.

Marinette let it fall down onto the desk.

She turned her head, looking up at Kagami. “Was that enough?”

Kagami didn't say anything.

-x-

The days passed.

“I can do this now,” Alix said, standing on top of Marinette's beds with her boots on still. “Are you ready?”

Marinette clapped her hands. “Hurry up.”

And with that, Alix fell face first onto the ground.

Instead of being hurt, Alix was able to stand up, unharmed without impacting with the floor. She'd been protected at the same moment by a barrier—that only Alix could see—that had protected her from harm.

Her being able to control it more had led to her being stupid with it.

Then again, the others weren't any better.

Nathaniel had taken to try to levitate his glass and bring it to his mouth. He ended up spilling it most of the time, though once he'd taken a sip before it had slipped and shattered on the floor.

He'd taken a bow for that, telling them to praise him more.

Marinette wasn't flashy with her powers.

Rather than the singular flower at the dining table each day, it had increased to a whole bouquet. The flowers were more grand, different colours that stood out against the dull brown and stone of the room, and it was clear that she was expected to want to experiment on them.

She didn't.

Marinette wilted a single leaf each day from the plant Kagami brought before lazing around, idly asking Kagami increasingly stupid questions for amusement.

Kagami's posture wasn't as stiff any more.

She sat down beside her within the first half an hour now.

“This is very important,” Marinette said, turning around in her chair to be face-to-face, gesturing for Kagami to do the same. “It's a sacred tradition where I'm from.”

Kagami complied, their knees almost touching as they looked at each other.

“Like this,” she started, holding her hands up with her palms facing Kagami.

Kagami listened, copying her.

Marinette slapped her right hand against Kagami's left, trying to keep a straight face. Then, as Kagami continued to stare, she did the same with the other before doing both at once.

“Do the same with me,” she said, voice wobbling from trying to restrain her laughter.

And Kagami did it, slowly slapping their hands together.

Marinette's laughter echoed in the library.

It wasn't so bad.

They'd all started to open up about their families instead of keeping that information close to their chests. Marinette was dragged into different bedrooms, becoming comfortable with all of her class-mates, and meals were only tense when they had visitors.

The potion instructors disappeared after everyone had had a third two-on-one about the mana potion, saying that they'd be back when it was time for another potion to be learned.

It was almost comfortable.

There was a lot of anger still.

Some nights, Marinette could hear crying through the cracks in her door. There were days where all she wanted to do was lounge in bed, but Kagami dragged her to the dining hall to eat, refusing to leave until she cleared her plate.

She'd loved food before.

It didn't bring her joy any more when meals were delivered to them daily.

There was no freedom.

It was a never-ending boarding school where there was no contact with the outside world.

Curious, Marinette asked, “What's your home like?”

Kagami didn't stop looking out of the window. “I do not have one.”

“No?” she questioned. “Your money went somewhere. Did it help your family?”

“I have no family.”

“Oh,” she breathed, unsure on whether she hit a nerve. It was hard to tell when Kagami rarely smiled. “Technically, I don't any more, so we're the same.”

Kagami shook her head. “We are not the same.”

“Right, because my eyes make me so special,” Marinette muttered, leaning back on her chair until two legs were dangerously off of the floor, threatening for her to fall over. “I'd trade places with you in a heartbeat—well, no. Not you. You're trapped in the palace, too.”

Kagami frowned. “I am not trapped.”

“You're with me,” she replied. “Inside a restricted wing of a castle for ten hours a day.”

She didn't need a response to that.

Marinette breathed out loudly. “Shouldn't you be doing other knightly things? Being here for months means your skills are going to get rusty.”

“Rusty?” Kagami questioned.

“It's a phrase,” she explained with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Your sword's different from the other guards. Does that mean you're higher than them?”

Kagami turned to look at her blankly, not answering for a long time before she eventually said, “I am.”

She clapped. “Good job.”

Kagami stared.

-x-

As expected, health potions were what Damocles wanted from them next.

However, when he announced that with a bright smile during breakfast, it was clear that he wasn't expecting resistance.

“How about _no_?”

Damocles blinked. “Pardon?”

“They're not for us, are they?” Aurore questioned, sounding bored instead of enraged. “And if it's the same amount of vials we made per day for the mana potion, they'll be used for something else.”

“Yeah!” Alix agreed, pointing at him. “You think we'd fucking help _you_?”

Bewildered, Damocles started to say, “It is the wish of the king—”

“The king can fuck off,” Alix muttered, not quiet enough for the guards not to hear.

“What she's trying to say is,” Aurore interrupted, shooting Alix a disapproving look. “We'd like to negotiate.”

“Negotiate,” Damocles repeated, raising his eyebrows.

One asked, “You don't really think we're happy being locked up here, do you?”

“This is for your own protection,” Damocles told them, placing his hands behind his back. “There would be a problem if word of your existence leaked out of the castle. It might cause a war.”

“Because others would want to use us?” Nathaniel questioned.

“It's not much different than you,” Aurore pointed out. “You got your hands on us first.”

“The king is the most capable of caring for you,” Damocles said, resolute. “Outside of this castle, it's rare to see a magic stone. It wouldn't be the luxury you're used to now.”

“Magic stones?” was questioned. “You've never mentioned them to us.”

“It wasn't necessary to.”

“Right,” Alix said, the laugh that left her not sincere in the slightest. “This is what we're fucking talking about! You're keeping so much from us and expecting us to just—just go along with it!”

Damocles frowned. “It is to avoid overwhelming you with information.”

“We're very underwhelmed, thanks,” Aurore quipped.

“The king decided—”

“We want more freedom,” came the request. “We've cooperated so far and haven't been outside of these walls for three months. If you want health potions from us, let us out.”

Damocles pursed his lips.

“We have knights with us throughout the day,” Marinette spoke up, gesturing to where Kagami was standing by the wall, the sword on her hip standing out. “You've trusted them to protect us here so far, so why not in the garden? We're not asking to leave the palace grounds.”

Damocles tried to say, “It is not wise—”

She pointed out, “If information leaks it's your fault for not having loyal employees, not ours.”

“It's inhumane to keep us locked up inside,” her class-mate agreed. “It's—we know you're not going to let us go.”

Aurore questioned, “You don't keep your pets locked forever, do you?”

“We're not fucking pets!” Alix snapped at that. “We're human, not—not _animals_ for you to train to do your bidding, all right?”

The plan to have a calm conversation was going downhill quickly.

“We're valuable to you, so treat us like it,” Marinette said, brushing her hair out of her face. “At this rate, if someone offered a chance to escape, we'd take it without hesitation.”

Damocles denied that with, “No one would be so bold.”

“Maybe not,” she agreed, glancing at the bouquet of flowers on the table as the petals started to wither and curl up. “But life can be unpredictable sometimes.”

The flowers drooped.

Damocles swallowed. “I will relay your wishes to the king.”

He didn't bow before he left.

And after the door shut behind him, Alix jumped up, slamming her hands on the table as she loudly demanded, “What happened to _not_ threatening him with magic?”

“I didn't,” Marinette replied, smile showing her teeth. “He hasn't been around to see us do anything in a while. I thought it would be... helpful to show him.”

Aurore snorted. “If our house arrest gets worse, I'm blaming you.”

“Sure,” she agreed, letting out a sigh. “We'll see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ( ˘⌣˘)❤(˘⌣˘ )


	5. 05

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari learned to make mana potions with nathaniel, mari and kagami bonded to pass the time, and mari and her class demanded more freedom in exchange for making health potions. 
> 
> the plot is slowly starting to kick in now, folks. the new arrival in this chapter will be a main character along with mari and kagami in the later chapters. is this spoilers? it shouldn't be spoilers. if it's not really obvious what i mean, i've failed somewhere. 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

They were given permission to go outside.

As long as they continued to train, they were allowed to roam around the castle with their assigned knight by their side until evening. It wasn't a surprise to see guards around almost every corner, keeping an eye on them.

Along with their usual outfits of shirts and trousers, Kagami had arrived the first day with a cloak that she could wear. The style was different than what she was used to; without sleeves and tied around the neck, and it had taken some time to get used to it.

Marinette saw a lot more employees.

They gawked at her, scurrying away when she made eye contact.

When someone saw her and bolted in the opposite direction for the second time that day, Marinette abruptly turned around and demanded, “Tell me, am I that hideous?”

Kagami stared at her.

“I don't think I deserve _that_ reaction!” she exclaimed, gesturing to the hedges where she could see the person in the distance running away. “They weren't even close enough to see my eyes.”

“You have pink hair,” Kagami pointed out.

“Your world's really behind,” she muttered. “This isn't my natural colour, you do know that, right?”

Kagami simply said, “No.”

“Well, it's not,” she confirmed, holding out a strand and looking at the pink that had stained it. “It's normally darker than this. Like my eyebrows.”

“Your kind is strange.”

Marinette laughed. “You're human, too.”

There was a certain comfortableness she felt with Kagami that hadn't been there before. Sure, her knight reported her every move at the end of the day, but she was also helpful and had started to show her personality more (despite not talking much).

She trailed her fingers along the hedge as she walked past, watching what she'd touched shrivel and die.

“There,” she said, putting her hands on her hips with a smile. “That counts as my practice today, doesn't it?”

Kagami was unimpressed. “You did that last week.”

“I did at least a centimetre more this time,” she replied, happily emphasising that by showing a little space between her thumb and index finger. “That's improvement. You can't tell me otherwise.”

With a frown, Kagami informed her, “Your friends are surpassing you.”

“That's nice,” Marinette said, brushing her hair behind her ear. “They're getting the hang of their powers. That's a good thing.”

Kagami pressed on. “Do you not care?”

She turned to her with a smile. “About what?”

“Your only worth is your power.”

“Well, I'm glad you're finally admitting that,” Marinette replied, feeling somewhat fond of how stoic Kagami was about everything. “Being powerful would only mean being thrust into the front lines. I'm avoiding that.”

She pulled some leaves off, letting them fall to the floor.

“I know you're going to report this,” she said, squishing the leaves under her boot. “I have no ambition when I've been forcibly taken away from my family.”

“That is unwise,” Kagami told her.

“Is it?” Her smile didn't reach her eyes. “I think being loyal would be pitiful.”

Kagami stopped walking.

“What do you get out of this?” Marinette questioned. “You have no family.”

There was a moment where they stared at each other, neither willing to speak first.

Marinette had been about to give up when Kagami quietly revealed, “The princess spared my life.”

“And you have to give your life in return?” she questioned.

Kagami looked away from her.

She murmured, “Pitiful.”

-x-

Princess Alya appeared for the first time in months.

Marinette was alone with her knight in the gardens, stretched out on the grass and staring up at the clear sky until a shadow came into view.

She sat up, bewildered.

“Hello,” Alya greeted, amusement clear in her tone. “I wondered when I would find you.”

“When?” she questioned. “Not where?”

Alya's smile didn't come across sincere. “You are Mari, yes?”

“I am.”

“I've seen your friends throughout the week,” Alya explained, smoothing out the loose material of her dress. “Panya has truly blessed us with their presence. And yet, I found myself wondering where you could be.”

“I'm not interested in practising,” she replied.

“Why is that?” Alya questioned, innocently tilting her head. “Magic is something wondrous and should be treasured.”

She bluntly responded, “So's my family.”

The princess cleared her throat. “I apologise—”

“Yeah, but you don't really mean it, do you?” Marinette interrupted. And at the sight of one of the princess' guard shifting and putting their hand on their sword, she let out an audible breath before standing up. “What do you want, princess?”

“I want to understand you,” Alya responded with a smile. “My father's given me permission to visit often in the future. It would be great if we could get along.”

She blinked. “You need permission?”

“Oh, yes,” Alya confirmed, nodding her head. “It was impossible to sneak in when it so heavily guarded in your wing. With you all wandering now, I have the excuse that we simply bumped into each other.”

Awkwardly, Marinette asked, “I'm not going to be beheaded if I don't want to talk to you, am I?”

To her surprise, the princess laughed. “No, no harm will come to you here.”

“Great,” she said, showing her a thumbs up. “In that case, I'm leaving.”

And before she could get a response, Marinette grabbed onto Kagami's hand and started their short trek back to the door to the castle, not looking behind her to see the princess' reaction.

It was when they were inside that Kagami told her, “That was unwise.”

“You didn't even greet her, shut up,” she retorted.

“It was not me she was interested in.”

Marinette muttered, “That makes me feel so much better, thank you.”

The princess kept popping up after that.

It wasn't only Marinette that was being cornered by her. In the evenings, she heard the others complaining that they'd been surrounded by her guards so they couldn't leave, meaning they had to have an awkward conversation about why they didn't feel blessed to be in the new land yet.

Marinette wasn't sure why they'd expected them to forgive them for their actions.

There was the matter that they hadn't been told the problems of the outside world; demons were unknown, the Demon King was a name that they weren't scared of, and the employees that they bumped into in the castle ran away and didn't talk to them.

The instructor that had returned to teach health potions hadn't told them anything else.

“Kagami,” Marinette said seriously. “I feel like I'm constantly being babysat.”

Kagami blankly replied, “You are a baby to this world.”

Marinette raised her middle finger.

“I do not know what that means,” her knight informed her.

She raised two.

“Knowing you, this is something offensive,” Kagami said, staring at her fingers.

“It's another friend tradition,” Marinette deadpanned. “Like the hand slapping.”

Kagami blinked. “Friend?”

“I'd like to think we've bonded a little,” she mused, stretching her arms above her head. “I've seen you more than anyone else so far. I think? I'm not good at maths.”

“I am your knight,” Kagami replied.

“Yeah, yeah.” She waved a hand dismissively. “I get it, you're totally loyal and completely fine to waste your life away in here. Aren't there, like, some cool places you want to go during the day? It can't be fun only hanging out with your friends at night.”

Kagami stated, “I do not have friends.”

She winced. “For real?”

“Your speech is strange.”

“I think you're the strange one here, buddy,” Marinette replied with a fond shake of her head. “What do you do when you leave?”

“I eat and sleep,” Kagami responded, sitting upright and looking so much more composed than Marinette's slouching state.

Deciding not to dwell on how sad that sounded, she asked, “Do you live here?”

With a nod, the reply she got to that was, “I have been granted a room here in exchange for this position.”

Marinette frowned. “When was the last time you left the castle?”

“Before this job.”

“Okay, this is very depressing,” she said, standing up and causing her chair to squeak as it scooted back. “You're worse than me because you're not the one here against your will.”

Kagami frowned. “I am doing my job.”

“How old are you?” she demanded.

With a curious tilt of her head, Kagami responded, “I am twenty.”

“Even worse!” Marinette exclaimed, taking after Alix and slapping the table with her hand. She regretted it instantly. “We're the same sad age!”

Kagami remained sitting. “I do not understand.”

“You're my closest connection with the outside world,” she told her seriously, putting her hands on Kagami's shoulders. “I want to live through you.”

Kagami said, “I am forbidden from telling you too much.”

“But you can tell me about the food you eat, right?” she asked. “I haven't eaten a dessert in the three months we've been here. I _love_ sugar, Kagami. I'm going to wither away and die like any plant I touch because I'm being neglected.”

Kagami sounded ever-so-confused as she questioned, “You want me to... tell you about desserts?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!”

“I do not like sweets.”

Marinette slumped down in her seat.

-x-

At four months, Marinette realised it would've been winter back home.

Kagami explained to her that the climate they lived in was hot, though it was never so sweltering that her long-sleeved shirt and trousers left her dripping in sweat. The coldest weather was mediocre at best, sunshine warm and nice to sit in, and going outside when there was wind meant she pulled her cloak tighter around her.

She'd started to relax.

It wasn't complete freedom, she knew that, but being outside was better than being stuck in the wing forever. Marinette enjoyed her time in the sun with the fresh air, though she did make a point of wilting at least one flower a day and saying that was her practise.

Everyone else was flourishing with their talents.

What had appeared first would be their most powerful spell, after all. It made sense to train and hone them, while Marinette wouldn't mind if none of her other efforts matched being able to kill something.

She wasn't going to test on anything but plants.

It had never been her plan to fight for someone, let alone kill because she was unable to harm them otherwise.

Aurore had gotten so precise she could toss a pebble in the air and make it explode while it was moving. She'd said it was hard to control at first because she'd either had to concentrate or it had appeared randomly when she was caught off-guard.

Alix still liked to jump off things. Her barrier had developed so she could put it around objects and throw them, so they wouldn't be harmed upon impact.

Nathaniel was smug about being levitate singular pieces of food from his plate. It caused him to sweat when he tried to lift heavier objects, though he had fun causing Aurore's hair to move and startle her.

When it had happened to her, Marinette's reaction was to kick his shin.

Nathaniel had almost cried.

Princess Alya continued to pop up, awkwardly attempting conversation before Marinette dragged Kagami away. Some of the others had actually spoken to her, though they never got any information that was useful.

They didn't know anything about the country they were in, let alone the world. It was being introduced to them slowly, as though they were kids learning for the first time.

“What age are you considered an adult here?” Marinette demanded.

Kagami replied, “Eighteen.”

“Great.” She clapped her hands. “I'm an adult. When will they start treating me like that?”

“You're a special case,” was the response she got.

Marinette pulled a face. “I've never wanted to be special before.”

There was no sympathy in Kagami's voice or expression as she said, “You have no choice.”

“I can always count on you to make me feel better,” she muttered.

Kagami didn't smile at her.

By that point, Marinette was determined to make her laugh. They spent so much time together everyday, yet Kagami's expression and behaviour never stopped being distant.

It was natural for her to start to like someone after all that time together.

Kagami wasn't the reason she was there; her knight was doing her assigned job and guarding her throughout the day and reporting back her progress.

Marinette wasn't ambitious and Kagami wasn't pushing her.

That was good enough for her.

They strolled through the garden together. Marinette had pulled up the hood of her cloak, attempting to cover her pink hair that had employees running at the sight of her. The common knowledge that employees wouldn't speak to them didn't stop the bewilderment from seeing them turn and run away.

“What sort of punishment would they have?” she wondered. “If I spoke to them.”

“Pay reduction or dismissal,” Kagami responded.

She kept her distance after that.

It was the king and his higher-ups that she had a problem with. The innocent people that were simply going about their day and trying to earn money didn't deserve her ire.

Marinette wanted to be happy.

There was no going back, was there? The king was determined to keep them in the castle and by his side, so no one else could have their powers, and wallowing wasn't going to get her anywhere.

She stood up, stretching her arms above her head.

“We're going to do something fun,” Marinette announced, marching past the hedges of the garden and flowers without touching them. “Your options are to help me or let me waste a health potion to heal my clumsiness.”

Kagami followed after her dutifully. “I do not like your idea of fun.”

“That's because you don't know how to have fun,” she replied, looking over her shoulder with a grin. “I'm going to teach you.”

“I am not here to be a student.”

“Well, you're not supposed to be a bore,” she retorted, stopping in front of a tree and gesturing towards it with both hands, excitedly wiggling her fingers. “We're here! It's time to show how athletic you are.”

Marinette dropped her cloak to the floor.

And without waiting for a response, she grasped onto the branches and clumsily started to climb, pulling herself up and managing to scramble onto a branch thick enough to hold her weight.

She was sweating.

Kagami looked unimpressed.

“I'm out of practise,” she defended, wiping her damp bangs out of her face. “I'd like to see you do better before you judge me.”

“I am not climbing a tree,” Kagami replied, utterly serious.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Boring.”

Adjusting how she was sat, Marinette didn't care about the stinging of her palms. It was refreshing to do something childish and be up high when it wasn't restricted to her room in the castle. The breeze in her hair felt nice, and the sight of the leaves of the tree slowly moving was one she admired up close.

Marinette plucked a single leaf, killing it before letting it drop to the floor.

She grinned. “There's my magic for the day.”

Kagami didn't laugh.

The fact that she wasn't telling her to do more was all the approval she needed.

Marinette kicked her legs, holding onto the branch as she looked around with a smile.

She heard a noise above her.

Marinette tilted her head back to look up.

There was a black cat.

Startled by her, the cat reacted by clumsily jumping down to the ground before darting away, through the hedges and disappearing before she'd had the chance to do anything.

“I wanted to befriend it,” Marinette complained.

Kagami pointed out, “It probably has fleas.”

“Okay, _rude_ ,” she replied. “You can't judge someone right away, not even cats.”

Kagami was blunt. “I am not listening to you.”

“I'll snap a branch off and hit you with it,” she threatened.

Without hesitation, Kagami responded, “I would be impressed if you could break it off.”

She tried and ended up cutting her palms further.

-x-

Rather than Damocles returning for announcements, another man was appointed to them. Alec was tall, friendly, and was blunt about rejection.

“I cannot tell you that,” he said, holding up his hand. “I'll be fired if I do.”

Alix sighed. “What _can_ you tell us?”

“Well,” Alec said, clearing his throat before placing his hands behind his back. “I've been told it's time to inform you all about demons.”

“Oh, now's a good time, is it?” someone muttered.

He cleared his throat again, sounding pained. Alec coughed for real that time, pouring himself a glass of water and drinking it all before letting out a breath of relief.

There was no comparing him to Damocles.

“Demons,” Alec started with a dramatic air. “They're monsters and refuse to follow human laws.”

Aurore raised her hand. “Why should they when they're _not_ human?”

“The way to spot a demon is to pay attention to appearances,” Alec explained, ignoring Aurore's remark and not looking their way. “Other than their coloured eyes, it is common for demons to retain features from other forms when they appear to be human.”

Nathaniel timidly asked, “Other forms?”

“They are known to be shapeshifters, though there is no set form that they can take,” Alec replied patiently. “Although we haven't been able to confirm this properly, we believe that the type of animal they can change into shows their strength level.”

Alix demanded, “So, what? Anyone who tuns into a bird is a loser?”

“Magic responds to them differently,” Alec told them, dodging another question and continuing on as though he was reciting it from memory. “They are able to accomplish feats that no human has been able to before. With two years of training, our previous hero wasn't able to overpower them.”

“Are you telling us they _died_?”

“That will not be the case with you,” he pressed on. “You will be slowly exposed to other forms of magic to avoid overwhelming you. While your first type will always be your strongest, that doesn't mean you'll be weak with the others.”

Marinette raised her hand. “You kept the hero for two years?”

“The kingdom failed to protect one of our own,” Alec stated. “It will not happen again. Your knights will be with you, no matter what path you wish to choose.”

“We get to choose now, do we?” Alix muttered. “Keeping us hostage doesn't seem like a fucking choice.”

“It is for your protection!” Alec defended. “Soon, your magic will be developed enough to use more often. Your mana should have tripled in size by now.”

Aurore questioned, “Do you have any way of testing that?”

Sadly, they did not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ❤(ღ˘⌣˘ღ)


	6. 06

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari told kagami she didn't care about being the best, kagami opened up a little, princess alya tried to make friends, and mari met a cat.
> 
> it's me, the idiot that's too impatient to wait to update every friday. at times i think about how this really qualifies as the _slowest of burns_ , but then i remember if this was all a one-shot 15k+ until adrien's introduced would be perfectly acceptable for me aslkjfggsdg. i'm just really excited to get to the later chapters, okay. but mari and kagami bonding is important. they deserve the time to be idiots. 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“Hang on, I'm falling asleep,” Marinette muttered, sitting upright and pointing her palm at her face. A few droplets of water splattered onto her skin, the coldness waking her up, and they dribbled down to her chin and fell onto her shirt. “There, that's better.”

Kagami was unimpressed.

“I feel like you're a strict parent and I'm trying to gain your affections,” she remarked, amused. “Why won't you love me, mother?”

Kagami replied, “You are a child.”

“Your child,” she corrected, wiping her face.

Magic was simple once the theory behind it was clear.

As soon as Marinette was allowed to freely pick whichever books she wanted from the magic section of the library, there was some embarrassment from everyone from how close-minded they had been. Unlike potions that needed specific ingredients, magic was about having a goal in mind and repeatedly working on it to make the effects more powerful.

Whereas the first time she'd tried to summon water and had only had a single droplet fall down her finger, she could put that to shame within a few days time.

It was strange.

Marinette was used to a world where she had to do things by hand, where technology was considered to be what made life easier. She'd been thrust somewhere where the majority of it had no electricity, where the land was divided into kingdoms with supernatural forces supposedly waging a war against them, and needed to understand what she could do.

None of the others had been able to copy her ability to kill.

The best part of it all was that she could be lazy and make something float to her if she didn't want to get up.

Kagami never looked at her in wonder when she did something new. There were no words of praise, no encouragement to try again and keep going; if anything, Kagami seemed content to sit around all day as Marinette tried her best at climbing trees.

The other knights were excitable and friendly after so much time together. Marinette exchanged words with them in passing, making small talk before leaving. She didn't want to get roped into their training routines and have to drink _more_ mana potions because of it.

Princess Alya was persistent at chasing her down.

“Mari!” she called, holding her long skirt up as she shuffled along. It wasn't quite a run; speed-walking was a good description, though Kagami told her that wasn't a phrase used in their world. “I am always pleased to see you in the garden. The others rarely wander out here.”

“That's because they're practising,” Marinette replied.

Alya had stopped trying to remind her that Panya had brought her here for a reason. It was a wise decision when all it did was make Marinette clam up and want to escape faster.

“And what are you doing?” the princess asked, amused.

“I'm going to climb this tree,” she said, gesturing beside her. “It's become my best friend during this time, you see. I feel my magic growing stronger from spending time with it.”

Alya gazed at the tree in wonder. “Really?”

Kagami never looked that impressed.

“Yes,” Marinette lied, dropping her cloak on the ground. “It works better when I'm alone, though. It's more intimate that way.”

“I'll leave you to bond, then,” Alya told her with a smile, turning around and beckoning her guards to follow. “Have a good day, Mari.”

She waved. “Bye, princess.”

It was when they were out of earshot that Kagami said, “I will have to inform her of your lies later.”

“Tattletale.”

“I do not know what that means,” Kagami responded.

“But you can tell the vibe of it, can't you?” Marinette shot back, brushing her hair over her shoulder. “It's not good.”

With a frown, Kagami said, “I cannot tell vibes.”

She sighed. “I don't think you've ever vibed in your life.”

Nathaniel had volunteered to help teach her to levitate better while they made potions. There wasn't much to do other than stir the contents of the cauldrons, though it usually turned into them bickering and bringing up television shows that they'd enjoyed back home.

Marinette thought they could've been friends normally.

If they weren't shoved together into another world, that was.

Alix, Aurore, and Nathaniel were the ones that she got along with most. Although she could talk to the other six, and greet their assigned knights when walking past, it never turned into personal or meaningful conversations.

Marinette had always been shy.

Kagami was a whole other matter, however.

“You literally have no friends,” Marinette accused, outraged. “How is that possible?”

Kagami reminded her, “I am not here to make friends.”

“Your job is to be my friend.”

“Am I not babysitting any more?” Kagami questioned.

She snorted. “We've upgraded into friendship. I've taken you under my wing.”

“You have no wings,” was the dry response to that.

“Maybe I'll magic some,” she shot back.

“You cannot modify your body,” Kagami countered.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “All right, nerd.”

Kagami tended to be right.

She was smart, had no problem following orders, and stuck to Marinette like glue during her assigned hours. Marinette thought that Kagami could've done anything she wanted instead of wasting hours away in the castle.

“Didn't you want to be something else?” Marinette questioned, her back against the grass as she looked up at the passing clouds. “Or was holding a sword your dream from the beginning?”

Kagami's response was depressing. “Dreams are unachievable when you have no family.”

“Well, that sucks,” she lamely replied. “I'm not convinced you're even good at fighting. I haven't seen you do anything.”

Kagami pointed out, “Nothing has happened.”

Marinette made a show of touching her chin and humming thoughtfully. “Until I see you kick someone's ass with my own eyes, I refuse to believe it.”

Kagami stared.

Marinette snapped her fingers. “Fight me.”

There was no arrogance in the statement, “I would beat you in seconds.”

“It might be fun,” Marinette mused, getting to her feet and brushing the grass off of her clothing. “You can take out your frustrations on me—without the sword. I don't want to be cut yet.”

“No,” Kagami said.

“Come on!” she goaded with a smile. “I have a health potion on me. It'll heal any broken bones I get.”

“You _want_ broken bones?”

Marinette clenched a fist. “Yeah!”

It was the closest to being bewildered Kagami had gotten yet. “Why?”

“I need to learn to defend myself,” she replied matter-of-factly. “It would be stupid to find someone else to fight when you're right here. And you have to be good, otherwise you wouldn't have been assigned to me.”

And with that persuasive answer, Marinette ended up with a broken nose.

Kagami beat her in seconds.

-x-

The cat came back.

Marinette made a noise of surprise, pointing up into the tree.

The cat stiffened.

She smiled, throwing her cloak off and scrambling up and grasping onto a branch for safety. The actions had become more familiar, though she still got scraped palms and fell down a lot.

Kagami never joined her.

Instead, Kagami stood at the bottom and called out, “You are an idiot.”

They were at the stage of their friendship where Kagami had started to insult her.

She grinned happily.

“Hi,” Marinette greeted, ever-so-excited after sitting down on a branch. She held a hand out to the feline, letting it stiff her cautiously. “I can't tell you how happy I am to see you. There's no pets here.”

Of course, there was no answer from the cat.

Kagami was a different matter. “The princess is allergic.”

“To what?” Marinette asked loudly. “Happiness?”

“Fleas.”

She laughed until she almost fell out of the tree.

Although the cat didn't let her pet him—gender revealed when he slowly left and ran that day—she earned the pleasure of sitting beside him if Kagami was at least a metre away through the upcoming weeks.

She was overjoyed.

Alix was the most offended when the cat ran away from her.

“This is bullshit!” she cried, pointing where the cat had disappeared. “You're always out here lazing around! I could kick your ass in a _second_.”

“No, that's Kagami,” Marinette corrected, putting her hands on her hips. “You could try and I'd kill you.”

Alix scoffed. “As if you'd actually do that.”

She smiled brightly. “Want to find out?”

Alix was the most competitive of them all.

So, when she was dragged along to the training grounds the following day, Marinette allowed it to happen. She stretched her arms out after tossing her cloak aside, watching as Alix was serious about warming up first.

The others had started to spar from the suggestion of their knights.

Marinette stuck to getting her nose broken often by Kagami.

She'd improved by lasting a few more seconds before she was defeated.

Alix cried out in surprise and stumbled when she was hit by water in the face. Alix couldn't conjure her barrier fast enough to stop the attack, so Marinette repeated the same action while laughing until Alix was angry enough to try and punch her instead of using magic.

She ran away before getting hit.

“Coward!” Alix called after her.

When Marinette hit Kagami with water in the eyes, the reaction she got was an elbow to the face.

“So tough,” Marinette whispered, chugging the contents of the vial and feeling the warmth through her body as her injuries healed immediately. “I'm even more attracted to you everyday, Kagami.”

Kagami didn't acknowledge the last part. “You are weak.”

She clenched a fist. “I'm weak for you.”

“That does not make sense.”

“I will warm that cold heart of yours,” she proclaimed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “And we'll be best friends, just you wait.”

Kagami wasn't surprised by her comments any more. “I am not here to be your friend.”

“I'll whittle you down,” Marinette said, patting Kagami's shoulder. “You'll love me before I'm shipped off to war.”

Kagami took her arm and threw her to the floor.

Marinette choked.

And as she looked up through blurry eyes, she could've sworn Kagami smiled.

-x-

“I made something,” Nathaniel said, opening her door. And when he realised that, he paused in the doorway, stuttering out, “I—sorry. I was so excited that I didn't think to knock. Can I come in?”

“Sure, come in,” Marinette replied, tossing her fairytale book aside. “Who cares about manners any more? Everyone comes and invades my poor room—”

“I take back my apology,” he interrupted, kicking the door shut behind him. “You deserve to be invaded. I'm coming in here without knocking forever.”

“What's up?” she questioned.

He scratched his cheek. “So, I might be a genius.”

“Didn't they say you had the highest grade last year?”

“Another kind of genius,” he stated, holding out his hand for her to see. “I didn't think it would work? But it did.”

She blinked. “That's a hairband.”

“An enchanted hairband,” Nathaniel corrected, gesturing for her to take it. “After I realised how slow Alix is to react and use her shield, so I just—I thought about enchanting it to an object and it _worked_? I honestly can't even tell you how I did it, but it works.”

“You enchanted... a hairband,” she said slowly, holding up the item between her thumb and index finger. “How big's the shield?”

“I—don't know?” he stuttered out. “It's more... it protects you from being hurt as a whole? I mean, I haven't tested it against anything big like Aurore because I don't have a death wish, but it held up to me punching myself.”

Curious, she slipped it on her wrist.

“Do you have to wear it?” she questioned. “Like, in your hair? Or just touching your body?”

“Anywhere touching the skin,” he clarified.

And with that, she punched her face.

It hurt.

“Mari!” Nathaniel exclaimed, touching her face and inspected the damage. “Are you okay?”

“The inside of my mouth is bleeding,” she said, tasting blood. “I'm feeling very lied to.”

“I—it has a cooldown!” he spluttered. “I didn't—I didn't want to do something too ambitious straight away? It did it as a once a day thing.”

She wetted her lips. “Well, that would've been nice to know earlier.”

“I can't believe you just did that,” Nathaniel said, stunned. His fingers felt cold when they touched where she'd punched. “Where do you keep your potions?”

“About that—”

He frowned. “What?”

With a nervous laugh, she told him, “I might've used up all my health potions already?”

He gaped at her.

Marinette was gifted the hairband for her stupidity.

Surprisingly, for a first attempt, it was able to block Aurore's explosion.

Him giving her one vial from his stash proved that they were friends. Marinette wouldn't have given up some magical drink that could mend broken bones on a whim if she didn't truly like someone.

It had been months since health potions had been in circulation for the mysterious king that they had yet to meet. Marinette wondered whether any had made it onto a black market of sorts.

When she asked Kagami about whether there was a criminal underground, the unimpressed stare she got in return was something she was used to.

“I am absolutely a criminal in your eyes,” Marinette told her, passionately moving her hands along with her words. “I broke the law all the time, Kagami. I stole files illegally and deleted the evidence because I didn't want to pay for it.”

“Deleted?” Kagami questioned.

“Disposed of,” she clarified with a nod. “I covered my tracks.”

With a frown, Kagami said, “Your crimes are hard to understand without context.”

“It would take years to explain the internet to you,” she replied. “It's akin to... stealing food here? It's hardly the worst thing.”

“You were hungry?”

“For entertainment,” she agreed.

Kagami made a disapproving noise. “You are a child.”

“I'm the same age as you!” Marinette exclaimed.

“You are incapable of ageing here,” her knight corrected. “I am twenty-one now.”

Outraged, Marinette jumped to her feet. “I missed your _birthday_?”

Kagami tilted her head. “I do not celebrate it.”

“I would've got you a present!” she continued on, ignoring her. “You—your twenty-first is a big deal where I'm from, okay! I could've asked the kitchen to let me cook there or something—wait, no. You hate sweets. You're weird.”

With a furrowed brow, Kagami questioned, “You would cook for me?”

“Your birthday is important,” Marinette replied, stepping forward and taking Kagami's hands into her own. “It's celebrating that you're alive and growing older. It's not—I would've done something for you. I feel bad that you didn't get a present.”

“I knocked you out.”

She cried, “My gift to you was me being _unconscious_?”

“It was nice,” Kagami confirmed.

Marinette pretended to weep in her hands.

Kagami patted her head.

“Wait, I know,” she said, forgetting all about the act of being upset. “Nathaniel gave me this, therefore it's mine. I'm giving it to you now.”

Confused, Kagami touched her short hair.

“On your wrist,” Marinette said, putting it on her knight's arm herself. “It's enchanted. It'll take a hit for you once a day, so you won't get hurt if you somehow manage to get caught off-guard.”

Kagami stared at her hand. “Your gift is... magic?”

“I'm passing it on,” she corrected with a smile, pulling the band and snapping it against Kagami's wrist. “Sorry I missed your birthday.”

“It is fine.”

She assured her, “I won't miss the next one.”

The best way to describe Kagami's expression was confused.

-x-

Nathaniel passed a hairband out to each of them.

Marinette got a replacement.

He refused to make more when Alec asked him.

“It's tiring and I don't—you're not my friends,” Nathaniel awkwardly stuttered out.

Alix shoved her way in front of him, practically hissing at Alec to leave them alone.

It had become accepted that they weren't giving anything out for free.

Nathaniel agreed to make ten more hairbands in exchange for art supplies. He'd originally bargained for more freedom for everyone, but it was shot down when Alec revealed that there had been a leak that mages were spotted at the castle. Apparently, the amount of guards had been upped and the king had tried to quell the rumours, only for a health potion to be shown as evidence that it was true.

Alec said that someone had slashed their own arm before gulping the drink to prove it in front of witnesses.

It sounded very dramatic.

Instead of hairbands, Nathaniel had been given gemstones to enchant.

“This is worth more money than I've ever seen,” he marvelled, wide-eyed as he held a stone in his hand.

It took him a month to spell them, compete with testing to make sure that they worked.

“Say bye to your children,” Aurore cooed, tapping a gemstone with her fingernail. “You'll never see them again.”

He sniffed. “They grow up so fast.”

It was easy to connect the dots.

They were in the library when Marinette asked, “Your gemstone's enchanted, isn't it?”

Kagami didn't try and lie. “Yes.”

“You never said,” she muttered.

“You did not ask,” her knight replied.

The guards stopping them from leaving didn't have stones on their swords.

“And the brooches?” she questioned, imagining the gaudy one that had been on Damocles' lapel. It had been months since his last appearance. “Are they the same?”

“Yes.”

“I thought magic's dead here,” Marinette mused. “Yet, you've got all this fancy stuff? Controlling the lights in the castle, on your sword—”

“They are given to the king's closest servants.”

She pulled a face at that word. “Servant sounds so medieval.”

Kagami stared. “I do not understand.”

“Forget it.” She waved a hand dismissively. “The gemstone. What does it do?”

“It heightens my strength.”

Marinette made an impressed noise. “No wonder you punch so hard.”

Kagami corrected, “It only works when holding the sword.”

She swallowed. “So... if you punched me while holding it?”

“That would be fun.”

Marinette quickly retorted, “You don't know what fun is!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭*❤✩‧₊˚


	7. 07

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** kagami kicked mari's ass repeatedly, the cat came back, nath enchanted hairbands, and mari gave kagami a belated birthday present.
> 
> my favourite part of this is kagami dragging mari from a room instead of carrying her like a princess. 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

Marinette had been in the new world seven months and hadn't left the castle.

“I am going insane,” she said, running her fingers through her hair. “And you haven't even taken a day off since you got here! The other knights have!”

Kagami blankly responded, “I do not need to.”

“You're twenty-one, hot, and _single_ ,” Marinette stressed. “There's some many dudes that would be into you—or girls. Whatever you're into is cool. I'll support you no matter what.”

She got an unimpressed look in return.

Marinette banged her fist on the table. “If I ever beat you in a fight, you're going to do what I want.”

Kagami brushed her hair away from her forehead. “You are not going to win.”

“I'm a prisoner,” she mumbled, pressing her cheek against the desk. “I have to live through you. Can't you do it for my birthday present?”

“You cannot age.”

“Oh, now you're just rubbing it in,” Marinette accused, narrowing her eyes. “Soon you'll have wrinkles and I'll be the worst kept secret in the castle. Everyone will know of the immortal young sprite that's chained up here forever.”

Kagami blinked. “Your dramatics are worse than usual today.”

“I'm bored!”

“Last time you said that, you started climbing trees,” Kagami replied.

“I'm bored of that now,” she said with a sigh. “What else can I do?”

The answer was already known before Kagami stated, “Magic.”

She scrunched her face up. “I don't want to.”

“It's a blessing.”

“So is being lazy,” she replied.

“You said you're bored,” Kagami pointed out.

“I'm bored of being lazy, but that doesn't mean I want to be _productive_ ,” she said, spitting out the last word with a grimace. “What do you take me for? A nerd?”

“The others are all excelling.”

She hummed. “You said that last month, too.”

Kagami nodded. “It's been correct all along.”

“And it forever will be,” Marinette assured her, sitting up and stretching her arms over her head. “They'll have to realise that I'm useless eventually, right?”

Kagami was unimpressed. “You killed a tree a fortnight ago.”

She wailed, “I _sneezed_!”

“It was a tremendous act of power that increased their interest in you.”

Marinette snapped her fingers. “So, you're telling me to be unimpressive?”

There was no humour in her voice as she said, “I am not telling you anything.”

“I knew you liked me really,” Marinette replied, hopping to her feet and excitedly exiting the library and rushing through the hallways.

After so long, she didn't try and greet the employees she passed. Marinette ran, boots tapping against the stone floors, and made her way out into the garden and started to search to see whether the black cat was there. She checked his favourite spots, crouched down and peered under a bush to see one of his hiding spots, before searching the nearby trees for him.

With no success, she wiped the sweat away from her forehead.

“Is it getting hotter?” she questioned.

“Summer is approaching,” Kagami informed her.

“Oh, fuck me,” she complained, fanning her face with her hand.

Kagami responded, “That is not in my job description.”

Marinette choked on her laughter.

That was as close to a joke that Kagami had ever gotten.

And when the cat finally appeared, Marinette stood up and excitedly called out to him, talking like she would to any other person, excitedly chatting about her day and asking him questions.

The feline only purred, never making any other noises.

It was fine.

She didn't try and pet him, knowing that he didn't like it much; rather, she sat beside him, watching as he rolled over and showed his stomach while basking in the sun, smile reaching her eyes as she realised how much a stray cat seemed to like her.

“I love him,” Marinette proclaimed, utterly serious.

Kagami simply told her, “He is a cat.”

“I'm well aware,” she said, clasping her hands together and putting them underneath her chin. “Therefore, from this day forward, I'm dedicating my time and energy to learning his language.”

Kagami stared.

Marinette beamed. “Magic's a gift, right?”

“Magic cannot make you converse with animals.”

“That you know of,” she pointed out, matter-of-factly. “I will be the first. I am devoting my life to this. I finally have a reason for existing.”

Kagami bluntly replied, “You are here for the Demon King.”

“My heart isn't in it,” Marinette solemnly replied, placing a hand on her chest. “It has been taken by this handsome scoundrel. I will never allow myself to be apart from him any more.”

“He does not live here.”

“My heart lives with him,” she said.

Kagami sighed. “Your heart will be with him when you go to war.”

“I will make it so I'll die if I'm too far away from him.”

Kagami shot that down with, “Your magic is not trained enough for that.”

She grinned. “So, you're _not_ saying that's impossible.”

“You are an imbecile.”

The retort she had on her tongue disappeared when she felt a nudge against her hand. Marinette gasped loudly, flapping her free hand in excitement and conveying all of her feelings about the situation when she saw that the cat was initiating contact with her.

Gently, she ran her fingertips across his head.

He purred louder.

Marinette whipped her head around fast enough to cause her hair to move. “I'm never leaving him.”

Kagami looked fed up.

-x-

Marinette did a lot of things in secret.

It was better to be in her bedroom and practising her magic late at night, when no one else was with her, rather than when Kagami had to report everything that she'd done. There was a line there that Marinette knew wouldn't be crossed; before the strange friendship they'd struck up, Kagami was loyal to the kingdom and wouldn't betray them.

Kagami was black and white—disobeying an order was wrong.

Therefore, lying wasn't something she was going to do.

Alec asked for a one-on-one session with each of them.

Marinette was one of the last to see him.

“So,” she started, feeling incredibly awkward sitting on a chair in front of him. It was almost like a teacher calling her into their office to have a private word with her. “What's up?”

Alec clasped his hands together and placed them on his lap. “It has come to my attention that you're unhappy.”

She snorted. “That's an understatement.”

“It is the king's duty to make sure every citizen is happy,” he informed her. “How can we make your situation better?”

“I'm a citizen now?” she questioned.

“Unofficially.”

“Lame,” she muttered, putting her feet on the chair and hugging her knees to her chest.

Alec's reaction to their mannerisms and lack of etiquette had lessened over the months, but how she was sitting still caused him to raise his eyebrows and stare at her in surprise.

“We—” Alec cleared his throat. “It is of the utmost importance that you're happy, Mari.”

She quipped, “Should've thought that before kidnapping me.”

There was no argument that it was necessary any more.

“Your companions have all adapted to life here,” he announced, sincerity in every word, believing what he'd said with confidence. “Their advancements in magic are matching the records we have of the previous hero. While yours... are a different matter.”

She didn't hesitate to reply, “I've never been a fast learner.”

“You are capable of it,” Alec countered. “You have all the potential. When you're caught off-guard, you display strong magic.”

“I can't do that on command, sorry,” she rejected. “And it's tiring.”

“Your mana must be _used_ to expand—”

“I don't really want someone who can't even use magic lecturing me,” Marinette interrupted, smile not reaching her eyes. “It's not like I'm telling you how to do your job. You don't understand my situation at all.”

Alec frowned. “I have consulted scholars—”

“That's nice.”

“Mari,” he said, somewhat sternly. “You have to come to terms that there's no escaping this.”

She clicked her tongue. “Because I'm a prisoner, yeah?”

“The king will send you with your companions regardless of how your magic compares to theirs,” Alec admitted, reaching up and scratching his cheek. “It is the only outcome for you.”

She bluntly asked, “Then why work for it?”

“Pardon?”

“If it's inevitable, why should I wear myself out to be better?” Marinette questioned, tilting her head. “I'm going to die either way, aren't I? The previous hero failed after two years of training. If you keep me here that long, I might just try and kill myself before the Demon King can even get to me.”

“That's why your happiness is important!” he exclaimed, raising his voice. “Your life is worth living, Mari.”

“Because I'm useful to you,” she pointed out. “I've got no worth other than that.”

He tried to say, “That is not true.”

“I'm different,” Marinette interrupted, standing up and making the chair scrape across the floor. “I'm not going to grow old like the rest of you. I'm stuck, unable to _leave—_ ”

Alec spluttered, “I'm sure there's some sort of magic—”

“I did learn one thing,” she announced, eyeing the brooch on his chest. “Want to see the efforts of my hard work?”

Before he could respond, she made the gemstone on it shatter.

“Good talk,” Marinette told him, smile not reaching her eyes. “Next time, let's skip the part where you try and tell me I'm more than a tool, yeah?”

-x-

When it came to it, Marinette wasn't surprised when the passion for plotting to escape started to disappear.

It had been eight months, after all.

They were all sheltered from the world. Their mana had increased so they could cast multiple spells without being tired, regardless of the strength behind them, and yet, that didn't mean that they would be safe outside.

The king would look for them if they left.

They hadn't found any magic that could alter appearances to hide the colour of their irides, so anyone they came across could blabber and release information about them. Even if they were to escape somewhere to the countryside, it wouldn't be easy to make a living as criminals on the run.

And so, Marinette wasn't angry.

“I'm not saying I want to fight this fucking demon dude,” Alix started, undoing the laces of her boots before kicking them off. “But we're—this is it, isn't it? This is our best option for now.”

“I'll escape and be a farmer somewhere,” Marinette proclaimed.

Aurore snorted. “That's not going to happen.”

“You kill plants, not make them healthy again,” Nathaniel pointed out. “It would be a disaster.”

“You never know,” she replied, tapping her chin. “There has to be _some_ healing magic. I mean, we haven't found it yet, but that doesn't mean it's not real.”

“Maybe there's some time-travel magic to send us back before we came here,” Aurore mused. “I'd absolutely drop out of uni to avoid this.”

Nathaniel pitched in, “The hero was around sixty years ago. We're bound to bump into people that have information about that eventually—hopefully someone that's _not_ paid off by the king.”

Marinette clenched a fist. “I hate him and I haven't even met him.”

“Think they'll let us live if we sneak out and punch him?” Aurore questioned. “They need us. We could probably bend the rules a bit.”

They hadn't rebelled.

After the first week, no one had tried to fight a guard and escape.

Marinette's trail of thought came out sounding like a question. “We could probably take them?”

Nathaniel blinked. “Eh?”

“We could fight them,” she explained, gesturing to her bedroom door with her thumb. “It would be simple. Break a window, jump out, use a shield to absorb the landing, and flee.”

There was a moment of silence.

“That does sound easy,” Aurore whispered.

“...Why haven't you done it, then?” Nathaniel questioned.

“I told you.” Marinette grinned. “My plan's a slow burn. It's stupid for me to run now.”

“Oh, _now_ it's stupid?” Alix muttered. “When's a fucking good time?”

“When we're fighting,” she replied without hesitation. “I'm going to fake my death.”

She received three wide-eyed stares at that.

“What?” Marinette asked, tucking her hair behind her hair. “Didn't any of you think of that?”

Nathaniel's voice was quiet. “You really think that would work?”

“They accepted the death of the last hero, didn't they?” she remarked, crossing her legs and putting her hands on her ankles. “I'll condense a load of blood and combine it with, like, a smoke bomb or something. Mix that with an explosion and they'll assume it's the work of a demon and I've been—I don't know, blown apart?”

Nathaniel was gaping at her.

She flashed him a peace sign. “Haven't you been thinking about this?”

“Not anything as fucking elaborate as that,” Alix ground out, looking irritated. “And—what? Condensing blood?”

Marinette grimaced. “You... haven't done that yet?”

“Excuse me?” Aurore asked, curious. “What do you mean?”

“You take some water, like, this big.” Marinette gestured with her hands, holding them a large width apart. “And you squish it down until it's a tiny marble. It's fun to do it back and forth and try not let the water fall all over you.”

They stared at her some more.

“I thought you didn't care about magic,” Nathaniel tentatively said.

She shrugged. “I'm doing it in my room.”

“You're doing a lot in your room, apparently,” Aurore muttered.

“If I show you, you can't tell anyone it's from me,” Marinette offered. “I'm striving to be the most mediocre of us all.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alix agreed for them all, waving her hand dismissively. “Show us what you've been fucking hiding. I feel so betrayed right now.”

“I haven't been _hiding_ it—”

It was from there that Nathaniel had the idea to try and condense a potion into tiny marbles, ones that could be stored in the vials so they could carry more at once. He theorised that he could try and make them like boiled sweets.

His eyes had lit up while they were brewing, but he'd been tight-lipped until he'd barged into her room that evening, making sure that they were alone.

After weeks of effort, they both succeeded. While it would've been easier to carry the pills—as he referred to them as—rather than vials of still liquid potion, neither of them were too keen on letting their accomplishments be known.

So, the pills were placed within one of her vials, wrapped in a scrap of fabric, tied up and shoved at the back of her drawer with her spare clothes. She had to assume Nathaniel had a better hiding place.

“We've made the ultimate painkiller,” Nathaniel said, excitement clear in his voice. “This—they haven't told us anything about this yet. That means it's entirely our doing, right?”

“It's not like we're copying anyone,” Marinette told him, flopping back against her bed and becoming aware of the ache in her back from where she'd been sitting weirdly for too long. “I can't tell whether the info we're getting if from the hero before or way back when mages were still around naturally. There's no... modern flair to it.”

He snorted. “And you think some dude from sixty years ago would have flair?”

“The sixties are looked back on fondly for _some_ reasons,” she pointed out. “I'm so sad no one's saying groovy to us or some other shit. That seems more jarring than our slang.”

“Maybe if we meet some old people, they'll remember,” he mused. “It's all rumour and such now. We haven't met _anyone_ that's actually... met the hero.”

“Princess Alya looks young, doesn't she?” Marinette thought aloud. “Do you think the king's the right age? Oh, but he might've been young and only told stories.”

Nathaniel sighed. “It's weird that everyone's going to get older than us.”

“Let's experiment, then,” she proposed.

“How?” he questioned, looking at her warily. “I'm not giving up my sleep to do strange things in here with you until morning.”

She winked at him. “That would be considered a date.”

Nathaniel pulled a face.

“So far, the two potions have all used normal cooking ingredients, even by our standards,” Marinette said, sitting upright and rolling her shoulder to make it click. “What if we just... throw some random stuff in and hope for the best? That _has_ to be how potions were found in the past.”

“You scare me,” he told her, utterly serious.

Marinette beamed. “Thank you.”

“That wasn't a compliment,” he corrected. “You have no sense of danger.”

“Oh, what's the worst that could happen? I kill myself?” she joked. “It's fine. Health potions fix _everything_.”

“They haven't been able to fix you,” he muttered.

“I heard that!”

The next time in the kitchen, Marinette gave Nathaniel a wink before tossing random ingredients in the cauldron. She stirred, watching the water start to turn murky, before raising her hand to imbue it with the flow of her magic.

It filled the room with smoke in seconds.

Nathaniel fell on the floor outside, coughing and retching.

His knight had carried him out.

Kagami had dragged her along instead.

And when her knight spoke to her, it wasn't a question. “Why.”

Marinette's eyes were watering still. “Why not?”

It felt like her lungs were on fire.

Smoke was coming out into the hallway, still coming out of the cauldron and _hissing_. Thankfully, there was no actual fire coming from it, but it was clear that her attempt at creativity had been a disaster.

“I wanted to try something new,” Marinette complained, sniffing and finding out that her nose had started to feel numb. “I didn't think _that_ would happen.”

“That was not your task,” Kagami told her.

She replied, “I have a problem with authority figures.”

Kagami stared.

“Not you,” she assured her, reaching out and weakly patting her wrist before she had to turn her head and throw up. The pitiful contents of her stomach stood out against the stone floor. “Oh, I want to die.”

“That is clear from your actions,” Kagami remarked, no pity in her voice.

“Give me recipes!” Marinette exclaimed, talking too loud and causing to her cough until she retched. “There has to be more potions than this! I'm _bored_.”

Kagami was still unimpressed. “You have no interest in learning more magic.”

“I have no interest in you bullying me.”

“You are a fool,” Kagami said.

“That's starting to sound like a compliment by now,” she rasped, throat sore. “You can just say you love me, it's okay.”

It was Nathaniel that wheezed out, “I hate you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭*❤✩‧₊˚


	8. 08

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari proclaimed her love for the cat, alec tried to get her to be a better student, her friends started to accept their kidnapping, and mari tried to improvise potions.
> 
> i managed to wait until friday to post!! while this is the chapter you guys were probably all waiting for, we're nowhere near seeing adrien in the flesh. the plot starts to kick in next time and we'll see scenery other than the castle!! i'm most excited for ten/eleven, so i might be too impatient to wait a whole week again. we shall see!! 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“You can't do that.”

Marinette was starting to feel unappreciated.

Although she didn't snap back, she didn't listen to them. They couldn't reprimand her any further when she could potentially hurt them _intentionally_ , so it felt like a teacher telling her off for slacking off during class.

Kagami had stopped trying to tell her what to do.

The others weren't on the same page, though.

From her stint in the kitchen trying to improvise potions, an instructor was hired to come back and supervise them. She'd laughed loudly when she found out from the others that it was only for her and Nathaniel's allotted time.

And for the weeks that followed, the instructor continued to awkwardly try and tell her to stop, nervous and scared that she'd lash out at them.

Instead, she was throwing what smelled good together into the cauldron while Nathaniel edged his stool away from her.

It didn't end up in smoke.

Actually, it didn't do anything than smell nice.

Marinette continued to try after making one batch of mana and health potions. Nathaniel had chosen to call her an idiot instead of telling her off, while Kagami had moved to stand near the window for fresh air.

It wasn't just the instructor telling her off, though.

For the first time, an employee nervously wandered up to her when she was outside to tell her, “It's time to go inside.”

Marinette turned her unimpressed gaze to Kagami to see whether that was true.

Kagami didn't say anything.

So, she stayed out and missed dinner, ignoring anyone that came and tried to coax her to leave. Kagami had sat down beside her and stared up at the sky, no conversation between them, and the dreary weather was a perfect representation for how she felt.

Kagami didn't offer her any words of sympathy.

Marinette wanted to keep to herself.

At least, that was until the cat appeared, poking his head from the hedge and looking around. Marinette perked up, calling out for him to come over.

She was happy when he trekked across the grass cautiously and butted his head against her hand.

“You're the pick-me-up I needed,” she murmured, happily petting him. “It's been so _dull_ lately.”

And when the cat put his paws on her thigh before flopping down against her, rubbing his head against her trousers, she almost cried.

“That's it,” she started, clenching a fist. “You're coming with me.”

The only words Kagami had to say to that were, “You will not get far.”

Marinette took that as a challenge.

Surprisingly, the cat didn't struggle or try and run away. She secured her hold on him and walked towards the entrance with a skip in her step.

The only thing stopping her from walking inside was that the two guards had taken their swords out, blocking her path.

She sighed. “Really?”

It was the first time one of them had ever spoken to her. “Her Highness is allergic. Animals are not allowed inside.”

“Animal?” she questioned, voice going higher-pitched from trying to lie. “I don't know what you're talking about. There's no animal here.”

“I can see the tail sticking out of your coat, miss.”

She clicked her tongue.

After trekking back to the garden, she gently placed the cat down, rubbing his ears when he didn't run away immediately.

“I guess I shouldn't sneak a guy in when I don't even know his name,” she muttered.

Kagami chose that moment to say, “Smuggling is illegal.”

“Yes, thank you, Kagami,” she replied, standing up, wincing when her knees cracked. “Shouldn't you be leaving? You normally switch off by now.”

The response made her feel guilty. “Until you return, I cannot.”

“Why didn't say say so?” Marinette lamented, stomping back towards the entrance. There were no swords to stop her that time, though she still glared at the guards on her way past. “There, I'm in. Do something fun for once with your free time.”

Kagami denied that with, “I will not.”

Turning around, Marinette reached out and took Kagami's hands into her own, clasping them between their chests. “I want you to do something for me.”

Kagami stared.

“I want you to go into town and buy a novel. Anything with romance would be good, and the more erotic the better,” she said, utterly serious. “It was one of my favourite ways to spend time and I want to share that with you.”

There was no hesitation before Kagami replied, “The shops close before I retire.”

“Take a day off,” she demanded.

“I will not.”

Marinette sighed. “Fine, I want it for me.”

“I am not your servant,” Kagami rebutted.

“I never said you were!” she exclaimed, squeezing Kagami's hands until she received a glare in return. “Who else can I trust here apart from you? I'm convinced everyone else is against me.”

“You refuse to listen to them,” Kagami pointed out.

She sniffed. “Well, it's not my fault that they want things they can't have.”

“Similar to you and your book, then.”

“I'll march back outside and make you stay here all night,” Marinette threatened, wildly pointing over Kagami's shoulder where the guards were still in view. “I'll make a break for it. They'll have to cut my calves to try and stop me.”

Kagami bluntly said, “Return before I make you.”

She showed her palms in a sign of surrender.

-x-

Nathaniel's first painting went in the dining hall.

It was a rabbit.

A cute, fluffy rabbit that had shiny fur and was sleeping on a pink plush bed.

And when Nathaniel blushed and explained that it was his rabbit that he'd left behind at home, it started off everyone talking about their pets once again. They'd long since given up asking for their belongings that had been taken, though a few glumly said that their phone backgrounds were of their pets.

It was Aurore that mentioned the cat that Marinette always interacted with.

Unfortunately, the cat didn't appear for weeks. For a while, Marinette's company in the garden the form of one of her friends skipping their training and coming to find her with their knight frowning behind them.

The days that followed were entirely catless and a bit depressing.

She got more freckles from the sun.

When Marinette asked whether there was any sunscreen, she got a blank look in return from Kagami.

After she explained what she meant, she didn't expect anything to happen. When it came time for her turn in the kitchen with Nathaniel, she was shocked when Kagami spoke instead of being silent the entire time.

Kagami asked the instructor for a specific potion.

The instructor was startled at being addressed at first, stammering out their reply, and Kagami cut them off to demand that they teach Marinette it.

Marinette looked at her knight gleefully.

Kagami avoided eye contact.

It was under Kagami's hard stare that the instructor left the room for a few minutes, coming back with a book clutched to their chest.

While the world didn't seem to be advanced as hers—proof from the horses being used for transport since electricity didn't exist—magic helped them overcome that. The proof was that while there wasn't sunscreen made normally, there was a recipe for a salve that came out looking almost identical to what she was used to back home.

It was a little thicker.

Nathaniel was the one to say, “Why would they want this when a health potion could fix their burnt skin anyway?”

“That's not the point,” she complained. “I want new things! And not to burn in the sun because I fell asleep.”

“You make it sound like that's happened already,” he remarked.

She glared.

The salve was another example of all the things being kept from them. It was only Nathaniel that had been supplied canvases to paint on while the rest of them didn't have a piece of paper to even write down their thoughts.

Maybe with Kagami, she'd get more of the things she wanted.

They'd been together months, after all.

When they went into the garden next, Marinette insisted on swiping the salve onto each of their faces before they sat in the sun for hours. Kagami had stared at her blankly as she did it.

Marinette had snickered.

She started asking for the simple things first.

“Kagami,” Marinette started, utterly serious as she rolled over on the grass to stare up at where Kagami was sitting. “I have a request.”

Kagami didn't say anything.

“I want to eat dessert,” she complained, making a pained noise. “It's been _months_ since my last taste of sweetness. I'm withering away.”

“Desserts are expensive,” Kagami responded.

“So are the potions they take away from me,” she grumbled. “Shouldn't I get a reward? The meals don't spark joy any more.”

The reply she got to that, “You are eating better than the servants.”

“I'm not a servant, am I?” Marinette muttered. “Hell, I could even make something myself! But the kitchen's never stocked for that kind of thing.”

Kagami eyed her dubiously. “You can cook?”

“What, did you think I had a chef all my life at home?” she countered, sitting up and stretching her arms out in front of her. “I was good at it, too. My parents taught me over the years.”

Kagami didn't say anything.

Marinette continued on with a smile, “They owned a bakery when I was younger. I used to wake up to the smell of bread and earn a cookie if I did my homework on time.”

What caught Kagami's attention was, “Homework?”

“Extra studying for school,” she clarified. “What do you call it here?”

There was no response to that.

For potions, the instructor looked sweatier than normal the next week. The weather was still terribly hot, the hottest it would be for a long time since it was summer, and Marinette had taken to rolling up the sleeves of her shirt and hoping that her boots wouldn't get too sweaty.

She had no qualms about pointing her hand at her face and blasting herself with water.

A few knights had given her scandalised looks for her see-through shirt.

To her surprise, she was given permission to cook during her allotted time in the kitchen. Although it wasn't stocked with everything, the instructor glumly said that they'd get the ingredients she needed from the other kitchen if she promised to practise her magic in return on the other days.

She agreed.

Their mistake was that they didn't say how much she had to practise.

Marinette threw the ingredients in the cauldron for her potion, putting the heat on before she turned her back and left it to Nathaniel to supervise.

When his knight tried to interfere to get her to do her own work, Nathaniel told him to back off.

The cake was a basic recipe that she could remember.

“My memory is shit,” she said as she dramatically put the cake down on the dining table. “But I've been making this since I was a kid, so if anyone says it's terrible, I'm going to punch you.”

She got a round of applause instead.

Marinette purposely kept a slice, condensing it into a small marble, unlike the usual fluffy state it had been in. She wrapped it up in a napkin and demanded a guard take her to the kitchen to access the fridge.

It took some convincing.

The next day, she dragged Kagami along to the kitchen, demanding entrance from those that were making their potions instead.

There was no instructor, of course.

And with her napkin acquired, their next stop was the grass outside. Marinette slumped down in the shade of a tree, patting the ground for Kagami to join her.

With a sigh, Kagami did just that.

She reversed the enchantment, the napkin moving from the cake slice that suddenly appeared, and held it out proudly.

Kagami's brow furrowed.

“It's for you,” she stated, placing it onto her knight's lap. “From yesterday. I kept some for you since it wasn't ready before you left.”

Kagami didn't stop staring at it.

Marinette opened the napkin, happily saying, “It's a family recipe.”

Kagami voice was quiet as she asked, “For me?”

“Yeah, dude,” she confirmed without missing a beat. “You deserve it for putting up with my shit for so long. It's not overly sweet since I know you hate that.”

And when Kagami lifted it up with one hand and took a bite out of it as though it was an apple, it became apparent that, maybe, she hadn't had cake before.

Marinette didn't correct her on the correct way to eat it—she hadn't brought out cutlery in the first place.

She grinned, happy that Kagami was eating it at all.

Kagami didn't look at her after it was finished.

-x-

The cat came back.

Marinette had flopped down on the grass again and noticed him when she looked up at the tree branches.

“Little man!” she exclaimed, happily getting up and climbing the tree up to him instead of letting him jump down. She sat on a branch with a grin, happily petting him. “I missed you.”

It had been weeks.

In their time apart, he'd changed.

“What's this?” she murmured, touching the collar that was around his neck. “You've got some bling now?”

It had a name tag attached.

“Adrien,” she recited, letting out a breath of amusement. “That doesn't suit you at all.”

The cat nudged her hand, purring.

She scratched his ears.

Unfortunately, Adrien had no interest in spending time with anyone else. He was wary of Kagami, never stumbling towards her or rubbing against her legs, and the sight of any of Marinette's friends had him running away and hiding.

Marinette wasn't upset about it.

“I'm special,” she happily proclaimed, brushing her hair over her shoulder. “It's not my fault you can't match up to me.”

Alix used magic to make Marinette's glass fall over and splash drink all over her.

She retaliated by making the flowers hit Alix in the face.

Alix coughed from the pollen.

In the kitchens, Marinette made cookies the following week.

The day after smuggling Kagami some, Marinette woke up to a notebook and pen in her bedroom.

She wasn't under any illusion that anyone else had gotten it for her. And if Kagami wasn't going to mention it, she wasn't either.

Marinette smiled and tackled Kagami into a hug instead.

She got punched in the face.

It was worth it.

The gifts kept coming; a new potion recipe that wasn't as in demand as the health ones, yet she made a batch and bottled them up for her own use. A book of spells was found in her bedroom another morning—which made Marinette wonder how Kagami kept getting in without waking her up—a time where Kagami almost let her win a spar before breaking her nose, and the best gift was the request of fish being served for breakfast being fulfilled.

Marinette condensed it, smuggling it out for Adrien.

The cat licked her hand.

She felt like melting from his cuteness.

The days passed with a routine; Marinette used her magic selfishly instead of helping out the kingdom, her friends were somewhat agreeable to what the king wanted as long as it benefited them in some way, and she was thankful that Alec hadn't pulled her in for another counselling session.

She got better at a lot of things.

The castle still felt suffocating.

Adrien refused to be pet by others. He'd taken to looking at her friends warily instead of running away, so that was considered an improvement.

Marinette felt like she could be a drug dealer with the amount she had hoarded in her room. The pill versions were kept in a few wrapped up vials and hidden around her room. As she improved with her dodging skills, she had to use the healing potions less and less.

The strangest thing happened when Alya came back and handed her a book.

It didn't have a title on the front, though it was as nicely-covered as the others in the library.

“What is this?” she questioned, suspicious.

The princess leaned forward and whispered, “A gift for your hard work. I heard that's what you were looking for.”

And with that, Alya turned around and left without trying to talk to her any more. She'd given up with that after Marinette had continued to be awkward.

She choked when she saw it was erotica, complete with pictures.

Marinette slammed it shut, laughing loudly.

Beside her, Kagami looked at her with a furrowed brow.

Marinette flipped to an explicit page before showing it to her.

Kagami's face scrunched up in disgust.

It was a highlight of her time there.

“Why do you let me do whatever I want?” Marinette questioned one afternoon, curious. “All the other knights get them to train.”

Kagami simply replied, “You have no ambition.”

“So?” Marinette frowned. “That's never mattered to anyone else. And you're, like, super anal about rules.”

“I do not know what that means.”

“Forget it.” Marinette waved her hand dismissively. “Are you not—I don't know, scared? That if I don't improve enough, you'll be hurt because of me later on?”

Kagami tilted her head. “No.”

“But you have to follow me,” she pointed out, clasping her hands together on her lap. “You're my knight. I know what that means.”

“I will protect you,” Kagami reminded her.

“Shouldn't it be my job to protect you by now?” Marinette asked. “I'm not a baby any more. I've grown into my mana.”

“You were never a baby.”

“You literally told me I was a baby to this world,” she shot back.

Kagami denied, “I did not.”

“I have it recorded,” she protested. “You absolutely did.”

“You had no diary until recently,” Kagami said.

“It's not a diary!” she squawked.

“A journal, then,” Kagami amended.

“It's a helpful book of tips and tricks,” she lamely defended, narrowing her eyes. “What? You can't expect me to remember all those potion recipes off the top of my head, can you? I forget people's faces if I don't see them for a few months.”

“You remember cake.”

Serious, she replied, “Cake is sacred.”

“That is blasphemy.”

“Oh, report me to Panya, why don't you?” Marinette muttered, rolling her eyes. “Not like we've been told _anything_ about that. Does it even matter?”

“It is not your religion,” Kagami told her.

“Is it yours?” she questioned.

There was no hesitation. “No.”

Marinette blinked, surprised.

“It is the religion of those that are rich and have not experienced suffering,” Kagami said, gaze dropping down to the grass. “Panya does not answer those in need.”

All she could lamely reply was, “Well, that's a lot to unpack.”

“It is not for you,” Kagami reaffirmed, lifting her head up to make eye contact. “I will protect you, not Panya.”

And since she was incredibly awkward with emotional moments, Marinette reached out and patted Kagami's shoulder. “You are my god.”

Surprisingly, she didn't get punched for that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥(ꈍᴗꈍ)


	9. 09

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari learned new potions and got permission to bake, kagami ate her first piece of cake, adrien the cat came back, and kagami said that god is trash.
> 
> friday's here!! we're getting to the good stuff now. a very small amount of you have correctly guessed a detail in the future, though i'm sure the next chapter will change your predictions. i'm very, very excited for it.
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

A tournament was held.

Unfortunately, it was Alec that hosted it. He was joined by the princess and her guards in the courtyard outside, the usual empty patch of grass filled with seats and a table, complete with a teapot and cups. And while the rules were explained, Marinette watched in amusement as an employee came out with a platter of snacks for Alya to enjoy.

It was explained that it would be a contest where all ten of them would duel each other.

Until Alec announced that the winner would be granted a trip into town, no one was interested. There was also the added benefit of healing potions being provided for them instead having to use their own.

Marinette rubbed her hands together and turned to look at her knight, “I'm getting you a day off.”

“With you, there is no day off,” Kagami replied without hesitation.

“I'm your friend,” she muttered, pretending to be hurt. “You're so _cruel_. I'm doing this for you.”

“No,” Kagami denied.

“Okay, a bit for you,” she amended with a sigh. “Mostly for myself, I admit. I'm still doing it for noble reasons!”

Kagami raised her eyebrows.

She grinned back.

It said a lot that they were potentially being allowed outside the castle. While it was only one person being permitted, along with their knight, there was still a chance that they'd run off and never return. There was no leverage to keep them there, after all; the phones and belongings that had been taken in the beginning would have no use in a different world.

There wasn't much guards could do against magic.

She smiled when she saw that Alec's brooch had been replaced with a crystal that was a different colour—one of the ones that Nathaniel had enchanted.

It was the only one they knew how to make work on inanimate objects, even though it had been an accident when Nathaniel had created it successfully at first. Through testing, Marinette found out that if she had multiple shields in her possession, they all activated at once and took a day to recharge.

It wasn't worth stacking up on them.

Alec asked them to remove their shields to make the matches fairer.

He didn't say anything about removing their pouches, though.

The tournament had been announced suddenly, taking away their chance to prepare. Marinette was thankful for her hoarding ways that morning.

She wasn't planning to win in an impressive way.

Alix suffered from her brand of fighting first.

Marinette struck while Alix was goading her.

She used magic to throw the marble, reversing the condensing and watching as Alix spluttered and coughed violently, eyes blinded from the sudden attack.

Marinette kicked the back of Alix's knees, knocking her to the floor and making it obvious who the winner was.

“What—what the fuck is this?” Alix demanded through her violent coughs.

“Cinnamon.” Marinette beamed. “I smuggled it from the kitchen.”

“You condensed cinnamon to kill me?” Alix gagged. “What if I was allergic?”

“I know you're not,” she replied, holding her hand up in a peace sign. “You boasted that your body can fight anything before.”

Through her watery and red eyes, Alix glared up at her, still on the floor. “I'll fight you.”

Marinette patted her head.

And when she looked to the sidelines—where Alya was elegantly sipping tea and observing them—Kagami's expression was entirely fed up.

Marinette raised her arms above her head, waving frantically and going as far as to jump while doing it.

Kagami sighed.

It was the best reaction she could've gotten.

Alix punched her leg, demanding attention.

“You've already lost!” Marinette exclaimed, jumping back. “That's not fair. Stop being a sore loser.”

Alix made a rock hit her.

“This is abuse!” she shrieked.

For her next match, Marinette used the same tactic. It stayed true that everyone became useless when their eyes were burning from cinnamon.

She wasn't using any of the techniques Kagami had taught her, nor was her magic more advanced than anyone else's. It was lame, really, when compared to the other fights that had magic being used offensively.

Marinette struck before she could get hit every time, saying it wasn't her fault that they weren't prepared.

“Why are you carrying cinnamon bombs?” Aurore questioned, holding her hands up to signal her surrender and her stepping down from the fight.

“You never know when you'll be ambushed,” she replied matter-of-factly. “If someone tries to kidnap me again, I'm going to make them cry.”

Aurore shuddered. “You scare me.”

Marinette winked.

Instead of cinnamon, she used flour for her last match.

She struck a pose when the person opposite gagged and gave up.

No one clapped.

Marinette sniffed. “You're all dead to me.”

Nathaniel slowly clapped. It felt more patronising than anything.

“I love you!” Marinette shouted, pointing at him. “I'll buy you anything you want from town!”

Everyone else clapped.

“Too late,” she said, crossing her arms. “Nathaniel's the only one I like now.”

Aurore's solution was to charge and pull her into a hug. And before that was over, Alix did the same, hugging her tightly and squeezing until she wheezed.

Nathaniel trotted over and patted her head instead of helping.

-x-

She'd figured out a cooling charm—at least, that's what she called it. It made it so she didn't sweat under the heat of the sun regardless of what she was wearing. Marinette cast it immediately on Kagami in the morning, refreshing it daily despite not knowing how long it lasted.

They couldn't walk into town, apparently.

When the details of the trip came out in the following days, Marinette was horrified.

It was a trip with Princess Alya.

The vehicle they used was an extravagant carriage that was pulled by horses. And she knew that all eyes would be on them when they got out.

Marinette slumped against her seat, glumly looking out the window to see the outside world that was slowly passing. She'd tried to say she wasn't interested and that she didn't want to go, but she'd been told it had to happen because she won the tournament.

Kagami wasn't allowed to ride with her.

Marinette felt betrayed when she found out that Kagami had her own horse.

She was alone in the carriage with Alya.

The princess looked as pristine and ethereal as always. And when she noticed Marinette looking, she smiled and asked, “Did you enjoy the book? I do hope it lived up to your standards.”

“It was... informative,” she awkwardly replied.

“Oh, that is wonderful.” Alya clapped her hands daintily. “I've longed for a friend to talk about literature with. My tea parties are dreadfully boring since our tastes do not often align.”

Well, now she knew that the people closest to the princess didn't like erotica.

“Tea parties?” she questioned.

“Yes?” Alya said with a curious smile. “Are you not familiar with them?”

Marinette shrugged. “I've never been to one. It's more common to go out to a café.”

“A café,” Alya repeated, leaning forward. “How wonderful. My father is too protective to allow me to visit any. I wonder if ours would compare to yours.”

“I can't find out if you won't let me out of your sight today,” she pointed out.

Alya smiled brightly. “I am your escort as much as you are mine.”

“That's a no, isn't it?” she muttered, sagging back against the seat.

Alya winked. “If my attention wanders for a while, it is no fault of yours.”

Somehow, the conversation didn't seem to be as awkward as all the others they'd shared. Maybe it was because Kagami wasn't standing there blankly, not contributing in the slightest and doing her best impression of a statue instead.

“I'll attract more attention with you,” she murmured.

It was with a tight smile that Alya responded, “That is what my father is after.”

“Me to be known?” she questioned, surprised.

“It has almost been a year,” Alya pointed out, turning her head to look out of the carriage window. “He believes it in time to make your presence known. So many towns have been taken over by the Demon King from waiting.”

She frowned. “Taken over?”

“Demons tend to sink their teeth into our vulnerable parts,” Alya explained with a tone that didn't have much interest in it. “A lot of the towns and villages in the countryside have been taken over, impacting our food supplies. It was a smart choice for them.”

“And this—it didn't happen because the villages are poor?” she asked.

“Poverty is not a problem,” Alya dismissed, sounding bored. “The Demon King taking what is ours is insulting. He cannot be allowed to continue his dastardly ways.”

“...Right,” was all Marinette could say.

The carriage suddenly felt stifling.

Any thought that the conversation was bearable had long since disappeared. The princess didn't sound as though she cared about her citizens at that moment in time; perhaps it had been said so many times that she didn't have sympathy for what had happened any more.

Regardless, Marinette's stomach churned.

When the carriage stopped, Marinette pulled her hood over her face as much as she could.

Winning was her worst decision.

There was a crowd outside.

Alya got out first, accepting the hand from one of her guards and stepping down with grace. She smiled politely and waved to the citizens, addressing them with small talk as she walked across to meet the rest of her guards.

Marinette stood in the carriage, feeling sick.

She was sweating despite her cooling charm.

Kagami came to the door, offering her hand.

At any other time, she would've been touched with her concern, or laughed that she was replicating what the other had done with Alya.

And as Marinette took her hand and used the step on the carriage to climb down, one of the guards pulled her hood back.

There were shouts about her eyes from those that were closest, too much noise—

She shut her eyes, squeezing Kagami's hand tighter.

And then, it was silent.

“Mari,” Kagami called.

She opened her eyes.

It wasn't the scene that she'd seen only moments ago. Instead of the cobblestone street filled with buildings, it was a field filled with overgrown grass that was almost up to her chin.

“Oh,” Marinette murmured, realising she was still holding Kagami's hand. “There's no chance this is your fault, right?”

Kagami stared.

-x-

It turned out climbing trees was good for something in the middle of nowhere.

Marinette clambered to the top of one, holding the branches tightly and resisting the urge to look down. As comfortable as she'd gotten with the ones at the castle, those trees looked tiny in comparison to the one she was attempting to climb. She'd cast a shield before she'd started, a reassurance that she wouldn't fall and break her neck.

“I can see something!” she shouted. “To the right!”

Kagami didn't yell up to her.

Instead of fumbling and trying to get down safely, Marinette refreshed her shield and jumped.

It was a miracle that she wasn't dead.

Panting, she held a hand against her fast-beating heart.

“I'm going to throw up,” she said, doubling over.

Kagami didn't say anything.

There wasn't a need to. Kagami had never been one to scold her—her blank expression said it all, radiating how fed up she was with any situation—while Marinette rambled to fill the silence, talking enough for the both of them.

Once she got her breath back, they started walking in the direction she'd seen something in the distance.

Marinette gave Kagami a marble of water, telling her to suck on it since it would act similar to an ice cube, only not cold.

Magic was useful.

When her feet started to hurt, she took a sip of a health potion to heal them. As soon as the liquid hit her tongue, depending on how much was consumed, it healed any wounds that were on her body. They were told that it would target the more life-threatening ones first, though she hadn't seen any evidence for that yet.

“Buildings?” she questioned, holding a hand above her eyebrows to provide shade as she squinted. “You see this, right?”

Kagami had her hand on her sword, walking first.

Marinette took the initiative and pulled her hood over her head once more.

It was a town that didn't match up to the glimpses she'd caught from the carriage earlier. Signs were weathered and broken, paint on the buildings chipped off, and the roofs were falling apart.

The road seemed even worse than usual.

There were children running around dressed in dirty clothing with holes on their knees, and the adults weren't in much better condition. The man that was selling sad-looking vegetables had dirt smeared on his face.

Marinette was the one to approach him and ask, “Can you tell me where we are?”

The man was unimpressed.

It didn't have the same charm that Kagami had.

“We broke down near a field,” she explained, gesturing over her shoulder. “And we're lost.”

“Sha-Mi,” the man replied.

That didn't clear anything up.

“Okay,” she said, drawing out the second vowel. “And is that near Lyss-Ria or—”

“Near?” He laughed. “This is on the outskirts of Lyss-Ria.”

She blinked.

Kagami grabbed her wrist, tugging her away.

“What?” Marinette questioned in a whisper. “I was trying to find out—”

“Lyss-Ria is a country, not a city,” Kagami informed her.

Marinette gawked. “No one told me!”

“It was not important.”

“Oh, well clearly it is _now_ ,” she grumbled, reaching up and pushing her bangs out of her face. “He probably thinks I'm an idiot.”

Kagami pursed her lips.

“That's you agreeing,” Marinette complained, throwing her head back dramatically with an annoyed noise. “I can't help that I'm an uneducated bumpkin!”

The movement made her hood fall off.

It was bad timing that a child had been running past, smiling at her before they screamed.

The merchant came running over, ready to defend the child, only to fall to a stop and gawk when Marinette stared at him with wide eyes.

Then, the reaction changed.

“We apologise,” he said, hiding the child behind his legs. The other they had been playing with had ran off. “We didn't—we didn't know you were visiting today.”

Marinette turned her bewildered stare to Kagami.

Her knight was standing there, hand on her sword still, ready to strike if needed.

“It's fine?” Marinette awkwardly replied, the words coming out as a question. “I didn't intend to make my presence known.”

The man gulped. “I did not mean to disrespect you.”

“You didn't,” she assured him, reaching up and running a hand through her hair. “I'm not very... experienced with the world, that's all.”

“Are you alone?” he asked before realising what he'd said. “That—I do not mean to offend you.”

“It wasn't a lie that we broke down,” Marinette explained, utterly confused by the situation. “Our stop here won't last for long.”

Kagami reached out and touched her arm, not saying anything.

It made Marinette panic. “Well, nice talking to you but we're—going over there. Yeah.”

And with that, she clumsily followed Kagami back out the way they came, the overgrown grass coming into sight as they left the street.

She rested by a wooden fence that had seen better days.

“What the fuck?” Marinette eloquently questioned.

Kagami breathed out audibly. “This is a demon village.”

She almost choked. “What?”

“Sha-Mi is one of the villagers that was taken over recently,” Kagami explained, crossing her arms and trusting the fence enough to put her weight on it. “On foot, it will take us weeks to make it back.”

Marinette felt like she was sweating again.

It was all her fault, wasn't it?

The panic of being exposed without her consent and made her magic malfunction, surely. She'd never _wanted_ to teleport to some countryside village out of sight—

The plan had been to fake her death, not teleport away and kidnap Kagami.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered, eyes feeling itchy. “I didn't—I never meant for you to get mixed up in this.”

Kagami's response was borderline comforting. “It was not intentional.”

“No,” she agreed, tears appearing, unable to be held back by her furiously blinking. Marinette crumpled down to her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs and burying her face in them. “This fucking sucks.”

There was silence between them.

The birds and insects in the countryside were louder than at the castle. Other than the occasional bird, she saw Adrien the cat the most.

“What are we going to do?” she questioned, sniffing.

“We have two options.”

As much as she'd disliked the idea of having a knight in the beginning, Kagami had become her friend. Marinette liked their time together, loved that she could goof off and not have to train, and the thought of leaving Kagami in an unknown village didn't sit right with her.

It wasn't her plan.

But was returning what she wanted to do?

The fresh air felt different when she wasn't trapped in the castle.

“They looked human,” Marinette murmured, tears still coming out. “They—their eyes were brown.”

“Yes,” Kagami confirmed.

She asked loudly, “How is it a demon village?”

“They take control and offer the residents food and safety,” Kagami informed her. “The town no longer belongs to the king once it is accepted.”

“So—what?” she asked, furrowing her brow as she looked up with watery eyes. “It's marked off as evil because... demons helped?”

Kagami wasn't looking at her. “Yes.”

“I don't understand.”

“Denouncing the king is treason,” was Kagami's stiff reply. “The king will either send his men to burn the village or leave it for now.”

She stood up on shaky legs. “ _Burn_?”

Kagami's voice was flat. “Traitors do not get to live.”

She swallowed.

Suddenly, being exposed to the outside world was daunting. It wasn't the happy-go-lucky lifestyle she'd lived for the past few months where she'd had people wrapped around her fingers, letting her do what she wanted.

She weakly asked, “What do we do?”

“Either we wait for allies that may or may not arrive,” Kagami started, finally meeting her gaze. “Or we use your eyes.”

“My... eyes?” Marinette repeated, dubious.

“That man believes you to be a demon,” her knight said, gesturing to the street they'd ran away from. “Surely, he has informed others of your arrival.”

“But—I'm not,” she lamely replied.

“They do not know that,” Kagami responded. “News from the capital will not spread here for weeks, if not months.”

It brought up the question whether she'd been suspected to be a demon beside Princess Alya. The reaction had been loud and hard to focus on when there were so many people around the carriage.

She swallowed. “I'm a terrible liar.”

“Do not talk.”

“Great advice, thanks,” she muttered. “So, you want me to just—just march in there and demand shelter or something?”

“They are scared of you,” Kagami reminded her. “Harming you will mean they will starve.”

Marinette's voice cracked as she asked, “And if a real demon comes?”

Kagami's hand on her sword was the only answer she needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥(￣▽￣*)ゞ


	10. 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari won a tournament and went into the city with princess alya, accidentally used magic which teleported her to the countryside with kagami, and got mistaken for a demon.
> 
> now is the time to give you warning of: **minor character death**. how do i mean the minor in this sentence? you may be the judge of that. i'm so surprised i managed to hold onto this chapter for now, and i'm looking forward to your reactions. 
> 
> also everyone's comment of "the kingdom is evil!" made me lose it and not realise how mean i made them sound slkjgdhfj that was not my intention, but now we're rolling with it, i guess!! 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

They had no money.

Marinette had suggested that they could sell off some of the potions and pills that she had in her pouch, but Kagami said that it would only draw more attention.

“If demons can use magic, can't they make them?” she questioned.

Kagami's explanation was, “They do not make it into the hands of humans.”

They'd managed to get a room at a rundown inn with her pretending to be a demon. It had a creaky and small double bed that they had to share, and the bathroom was an unwelcome surprise when she remembered that only the castle had magic.

The shock from it made her realise that she was really in a backwards world where nothing made sense to her any more.

So, the first night she shoved her hands into the cold water of the tub, determined to make it warm up with magic.

She got it lukewarm at best.

Still, it was impressive for trying to make it happen on the spot.

Kagami wanted her to stay in the room at all times to avoid more people seeing her. Word had surely spread around the village that a demon was visiting, and the one employee that came up to knock on their door to say that food would be arriving soon never saw her when the door was opened.

Marinette felt like even more of a secret than at the castle.

“I could try and get us back,” she proposed, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “If I got us here, it's possible.”

“No.”

“I can _try_ ,” she insisted.

Kagami shook her head. “You do not know what you did.”

She threw her hands up. “I fucked up, that's what!”

From the glimpses she saw from the crooked window, the village was incredibly poor. The few citizens she'd met on the first day weren't the ones in the worst shape, nor was there anyone well-dressed and interacting with everyone else.

The two of them must've stood out horribly, even without her eyes being seen.

Kagami had corrected that by coming back with clothes. It went unsaid that they were probably stolen since neither of them had money.

Marinette didn't complain about the scratchy quality of them, nor did she resist when Kagami insisted on hiding the clothes that they'd arrived in to keep evidence of them being from the castle a secret.

She understood everything Kagami did, but that didn't mean that she was happy with the arrangement.

“This is terrible,” she lamented. “I'm going stir-crazy.”

Kagami bluntly asked, “Would you prefer to go outside and be robbed?”

“You have no faith in this town,” Marinette said. “They'd be scared of my eyes, right? I'm a big scary demon.”

“Fear will not stop everyone,” Kagami replied.

“You have no faith in _anyone_.”

It seemed Kagami was talkative that day. “Why put your beliefs in others?”

“Did you get burned before, is that it?” Marinette questioned, patting the bed beside her. “Did you get robbed somewhere?”

It almost sounded like a breath of amusement left her. “I did the robbing.”

“Kagami!” she gasped, not that surprised since the arrival of their new clothes. “ _You_? You're all about the rules. I'm not believing it.”

There was no response to that.

She wasn't expecting one.

In their time of their cohabitation—more than the ten hours a day they'd spent together for months—Kagami did speak a bit more, but Marinette was still the one filling the silence with her ramblings. She complained about everything; the amount of money she'd spent for university, the fact that she'd filled up her fridge before being whisked away here, and that she'd left her notebook of recipes behind in her bedroom at the castle.

“It doesn't fit in my pouch,” she muttered, bitter. “And I couldn't turn it into a marble either. This magic world sucks. Why can't I make bottomless bags, Kagami?”

“You do not know another magic world.”

“I do in my fantasies,” Marinette retorted, flopping back against the bed and staring up at the cracked ceiling. It looked like it would fall at any moment. “At home, there's _so_ many fictional books with magical worlds in them. They're all so wondrous and fun—not like being trapped in a fucking castle for a year.”

“This is not a novel,” Kagami told her.

She agreed, “It would be a fucking boring story.”

“You are fun.”

Marinette sat up, wide-eyed. “Excuse me?”

Kagami blinked. “You tell me all the time.”

“I'm not your kind of fun,” she reminded her. “I know the only thing you enjoy is staring at walls.”

Kagami corrected her with, “I enjoy fighting.”

She pulled a face. “We can't do that here.”

“No.”

Marinette snapped her fingers. “I'm fun when you kick my ass!”

“I have never kicked your ass,” Kagami replied, tired.

It never lost the amusement value when Kagami sounded ever-so-fed up with weird sayings from her world. There was a big difference in how everyone spoke, though she was grateful that she hadn't been put through etiquette lessons.

Still, it would've been nice to have been taught how to blend in with everyone else.

She smiled. “It's an expression.”

With a frown, Kagami said, “I do not like it.”

“You don't like a lot of things, Kagami,” she told her with a laugh.

“I am not a happy person.”

“I never would've guessed,” she muttered.

There was a beat of silence.

“Before you call me an idiot, that was sarcasm,” Marinette burst out, rolling over to glare up at her. “I'm not a complete fool, okay?”

Kagami didn't say anything.

She pouted.

-x-

After two weeks, Marinette was terribly bored.

There was only so much magic that she could practise while cooped up in the bedroom. Kagami had left her a few times to venture out into the street and take in their surroundings, stealing a few more shirts and trousers for them to wear.

Marinette watched her walk away through the window until she was out of sight.

Kagami had her best interests in mind, she knew that. It was her job to protect her, so allowing Marinette to frolic through a demon-owned village was clearly one of the worst things she could do.

And yet, they hadn't heard any news of demons coming to visit. Kagami had told her some more about how the demon-ran locations ran; that demons sent word before they arrived so the residents wouldn't be scared, that they came with supplies of food and what was needed to fix up the village, though they didn't stay for long.

It didn't sound like the demons got anything in return.

Marinette was thankful that not all demons kept some part of their animal forms when they appeared human. She would've been caught immediately on the first day if that wasn't the case.

Kagami slammed opened the door and announced, “We need to leave.”

Marinette blinked. “We do?”

“Demons are set to arrive today,” Kagami said, resting her hand on her sword as she waited for her to get up. “We must go.”

“And go where?” Marinette questioned. “There's no horses to rent. The nearest village is two hours away on foot.”

Kagami ended up crossing the room, grabbing onto Marinette's wrist and tugging her to the door. “You will hide.”

“And what about you?” she questioned.

The panic was setting in yet.

Kagami pulled her into the hallway and down the rickety stairs. “You are my priority.”

They didn't talk until they'd ran out to the field. It was only when the grass was touching her body that she realised that she'd forgotten her cloak in the room.

“Forget it,” Kagami advised. “You must hide.”

“In the grass?” Marinette was doubtful. “They're going to hear that I was in town. You can't threaten them all to keep quiet.”

“Climb,” Kagami commanded, pointing up to a high tree.

“Our uniforms are back in the room,” she pointed out. “They'll recognise you as a knight. The sword is a dead giveaway, too.”

Kagami pushed her forward. “I will hide myself.”

“I'm not saying I'm doubting you,” Marinette rambled, touching the base of the tree as her heart beat nervously in her chest. “But you're not going to do something stupid, are you? If you leave me alone, I'll use my magic to bring you back and kill you all over again.”

Kagami simply pointed at the tree. “Up.”

There was a lump in her throat. “Come with me.”

Kagami shook her head. “I do not know how to climb.”

“It's easy,” she lied, remembering all the times she'd tumbled to the ground. “I'll cast as many shield charms as you need, okay? I won't let you get hurt.”

The rejection came in the form of, “Keep your mana.”

“I have potions and pills,” Marinette insisted. “I have enough to cast, like, a hundred shields today alone. We'll be fine.”

“I will keep watch,” Kagami denied, taking a step back. “It it not my job to hide.”

“Fuck the job, dude,” she retorted, face feeling hot. “That doesn't—it doesn't apply when we're literally stranded.”

Then, Kagami did what she hadn't done before.

She took her sword out, pointing it towards Marinette.

“Are you kidding me.” It wasn't a question. “You know I can destroy that, right? I can.”

Kagami pointed out, “You would not leave me defenceless.”

“You're good with your fists,” she said.

To prove her point, Kagami pushed the sword forward until the tip dug into Marinette's throat.

It hurt.

There wasn't any point arguing when Kagami put duty above everything else.

It was stupid for her to think that their friendship would be ranked higher than that. While she cared about Kagami and wanted her to be safe, Kagami wouldn't betray her vow to the princess.

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. “I'll go up.”

The sword didn't move.

Marinette cast a shield before she jumped and clumsily grasped onto the first branch, hands already stinging from the pain. It was only when she was too far away for Kagami to reach that the sword was sheathed again, jewel standing out still when it was hidden away.

That jewel was something Kagami was proud of, wasn't it?

Destroying it to protect her would only hurt her.

“Kagami,” Marinette called down, barely able to make out her face from high she was up. “Don't die.”

Kagami nodded before leaving.

It had never been the plan to grow attached to her babysitter. And yet, as she watched Kagami walk away back in the direction of the village—stupidly returning to the most dangerous place—she felt nauseated.

Suddenly, all the fantasy books she'd read didn't seem so great any more.

It was different when she actually knew the person going into danger. It wasn't some great quest that the main character was going on to avenge their parents; Kagami was doing it out of duty from the princess saving her life.

Marinette wasn't under any illusion that Kagami was doing it because of their friendship.

-x-

It had been hours.

Kagami hadn't returned.

Marinette stayed up as far as she could go in the tree, sat on a branch thick enough to support her weight. The shield reassured her that she would be fine, though being wobbly from her attention wavering wasn't a good thing.

She almost slipped a few times.

It didn't have the same charm it did as climbing the trees at the castle.

For one, she had a view of the broken roofs of the village, the overgrown field and ruined road almost out of her sight, and all of it looked sad.

Kagami said it was one of the most recently overtaken. Marinette had no idea how it would've looked before that if this was considered an improvement already. Perhaps it was the vegetables that the merchant was selling that were new. Then again, there could've been a farm on the other side of the village where they hadn't ventured yet.

There was so much that she didn't know.

And with the wind in her hair, she wondered whether she should leave.

She wouldn't make it far, would she? Her pouch had no food. Perhaps she could sell fresh water—they wouldn't have water pipes, would they?

It was a mystery.

While she was confident that she could fight someone if they attempted to abduct her, she didn't think she could take on a gang. Were there gangs in this world?

Were the demons considered a gang?

“This is fucked,” she muttered, rubbing her hand over her face.

The slight pain from pressing her palm into her eye grounded her.

And as the time passed, all she could think was that the clothing Kagami stole felt itchy. It hadn't been obvious before how high-quality the plain clothes she'd been provided had been.

It was getting cold without her cloak as the sun started to set.

She hadn't worked out the opposite of a cooling charm.

When she heard voices, it wasn't Kagami.

Marinette clutched onto the branch, holding her breath.

She didn't know any magic to make her invisible, couldn't replicate the teleportation that she'd accidentally done—

There was a woman that was close enough to be heard. “Check out that area.”

Marinette's heart started to beat fast as she could make out someone walking up to the tree she was hiding in.

It was a man.

To her horror, he held a cloak up to his face before looking up, clearly making eye contact.

It was her cloak.

He smiled.

Marinette wanted to vomit.

It was too far down to make out his facial features.

She didn't need to see his eyes colour to recognise the second set of ears that were nestled in his hair.

It would've been a bizarre moment if she wasn't in such a dangerous situation. A human with cat ears belonged in fantasy, not in a moment where she sweating from nerves.

Except he wasn't human, was he?

That was a demon staring up at her, holding her cloak that had been left in her room.

The woman called out, “Anything?”

His hand holding the cloak dropped down by his side before he turned his head to shout back, “Nothing!”

That—

It didn't make sense.

She stayed tense in the tree until he walked out of sight, heart still beating in her chest.

He was clearly looking for her, wasn't he? There would be no reason to lug her cloak around otherwise.

Had he been sniffing it?

Puzzled, Marinette didn't know what to believe. It wasn't as though she'd been told much about demons before—if he kept cat ears when in his human form, would his other senses be heightened?

She put a water marble in her mouth to try and stop herself from being sick.

It felt like hours before Kagami returned.

The sunlight was fading when she came into view, looking no worse than she did before; same raggedly stolen clothes, sword attached to her hip, and short hair sticking up from the wind blowing it.

Marinette jumped down without hesitation, pulling her into a hug.

Kagami stood there stiffly.

“You're okay,” she murmured, burying her head into Kagami's neck, their similar height making it easy to clumsily hit their heads at first. “I—you were gone for so long.”

While Kagami wasn't pushing her away, she wasn't hugging her back. “I was not seen.”

“What happened?” Marinette questioned, refusing to let go. “I was so scared for you.”

“The demons are gone,” Kagami told her, voice almost soft from their close distance. “They came with a shipment of supplies for the village. The merchant from before mentioned you.”

She stuttered out, “A-and?”

“They came to the conclusion that a weak demon is seeking shelter here,” Kagami said. “They told the townspeople not to harm you.”

Marinette quietly asked, “When?”

“Close to two hours ago.”

That was after she'd been spotted by that one demon.

He had to know, right? And for him to say that to the townspeople—

It could've been a ploy to lure her out.

“I have confirmed that they have all left,” Kagami said, awkwardly patting Marinette's back. It was the closest thing to a hug she'd receive. “I waited until they were far enough away before returning.”

“One saw me,” she blurted, pulling back to look Kagami in the eyes. “He—he came up to the tree, holding my cloak. He smiled at me.”

Kagami frowned.

“He had cat ears!” Marinette exclaimed, running a frazzled hand through her hair. “It—that's so fucking weird, Kagami. I could _see_ them in his hair? And he just—he smiled and me and said that he didn't see anything and walked off.”

“He saw you,” Kagami repeated.

She nodded her head.

And instead of addressing that, Kagami tugged her by the wrist into the village instead.

Their room wasn't wrecked.

The cloak had been returned to her bed, folded neatly.

And the clothing they'd arrived in was hidden in the drawer, tucked away and undisturbed.

Kagami didn't suggest that they attempt to travel across the country to return. They continued to stay in the room, Marinette hiding when food was delivered up to them, and the routine from before came back.

During the day, Kagami ventured out, investigating the area.

Marinette could see a few houses repairing their roofs from her window.

The ladder they used wobbled.

From a distance, she cast a shield on the man, turning her attention back to her room before knowing whether it was needed it not.

Marinette got good at tossing a marble up in the air and catching it.

It was some days later when a noise came from the door.

Kagami was out.

Marinette had specific instructions to stay in the room and not cause any trouble. No one had come up and tried to talk to her yet, and she'd understood completely why she needed to stay out of sight. It was good that she could pass as a demon by sight, but she couldn't bargain on that for getting out of every situation.

Then, she realised the noise was scratching.

Curious, she cracked the door open to see find the source.

It felt like she'd been punched when she recognised the cat.

“Adrien?” she questioned, sinking down to her knees and petting the cat that happily came and rubbed against her legs. “You're—how are you here?”

Before anyone could see them, she ushered him into the room, closing the door with a smile.

“What are you doing out here, little guy?” she asked, sitting down on the floor with him. “Your owner's probably worried sick about you.”

The cat bumped his head against her hand, his usual collar missing.

Her chest felt warm.

“You idiot,” she said fondly. “It's not stuck up for me to say you followed me, is it?”

He purred.

It was the happiest she'd felt in days.

That feeling was squashed in a matter of seconds.

Kagami came back, opening the door without announcing her entrance.

There was no greeting; rather, when she caught sight of Adrien curled up beside her legs, Kagami took out her sword and threw it.

Marinette could only stare in horror as blood was seeping from his fur, steadily spilling out from the sword that was embedded in his body—

She choked out a sob.

Kagami didn't utter any words of apology; rather, the first thing she said was, “That is a demon.”

Marinette threw up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥( 〃▽〃)


	11. 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari and kagami stayed at an inn, kagami stole clothes for them to wear, demons came to the village and investigated the weak demon staying there, and kagami stabbed the cat.
> 
> i'm honestly so surprised that no one's guessed this plot twist yet. it was hinted at as early as chapter one but i think it was forgotten unless this was read all at once? maybe. originally, i was going to have juleka as mari's knight before she got swapped off to... i think alix? then i wrote her out completely because she wasn't an important part of the story. 
> 
> bye, juleka. you never made it into the womb to be born because i love kagami too much.
> 
> shout out to _laceituplove_ for being the only one to guess correctly what happens to adrien the cat!! ♥
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“He wasn't—he didn't do anything,” Marinette sobbed, her knees getting wet as the puddle of blood grew bigger. “He was nice.”

Kagami's voice was quiet. “He is a demon.”

“Don't,” she choked out, squeezing her eyes shut. “Just—don't talk to me.”

Kagami didn't listen to her. “That is not a cat.”

“Shut up!” she shouted, lifting her head up to glare through her blurry eyes. “You don't—you don't get to say that to me, not right now.”

It was even worse when Kagami was standing there, silent.

The sword was still embedded in the cat's body, pierced through completely and stuck in the floor to keep it upright. Adrien's body had since gone limp, heart no longer beating, yet she couldn't bear to be the one to tug it out of him.

She couldn't stop crying. “Take your sword and get out.”

Kagami didn't put up a fight.

And when she was gone, Marinette realised that health potions wouldn't work on someone that was already dead. There was nothing to heal if blood wasn't flowing.

She felt helpless.

There was nothing she could do, was there?

Her body shook with her tears as she whispered again, “That name doesn't suit you at all.”

She'd moved his body onto her lap, the warmth of the blood starting to feel cold and wet as time passed. His corpse was surely growing stiff, but there wasn't anything she could do about that. She refused to place him outside in the hallway for an employee to clean up, and Kagami would only be opposed to burying him—if she'd ever get permission leave the room in the first place.

What did it matter that he was a demon?

He'd kept her company for months in the castle. Although he'd been wary at first, he'd grown to be friendly, stuck to her side, and put up with her childish moments. There had never been a time where she'd feared for her life beside him.

She didn't care that he'd been spying on the castle and used her access.

He'd probably been pleased with her trying to sneak him in all those times.

“I'll miss you,” she murmured, running her fingers through his fur.

The wound didn't feel hot any more.

What good was it for killing to be her power?

He'd died in an instant, too fast for her to react and cast a shield.

She hadn't needed to put him out of misery when it was over as quickly as it had happened. Marinette was left with a corpse of who she considered to be a friend, crying alone in the room.

She couldn't fault Kagami for doing her job.

Adrien hadn't been suspicious before; his cover had been perfect, enough to not alert Kagami that he wasn't truly an animal. He had to have known that travelling so far wasn't wise, let alone that making his presence known was dangerous.

Had he thought she was alone?

She cried more at being trusted with that.

It was the first death she'd seen.

Hearing about demons hadn't filled her with hate; she'd heard more from Kagami about their deeds since coming to the village, but it was all one side of the story.

She wondered how her friends were taking her disappearance.

Did they think she'd run away?

It really wasn't her plan.

Then again, holding onto her friend's corpse wasn't either.

Marinette leaned down, hugging the cat in her lap, saddened when she didn't get a reaction from moving him. He'd only sat beside her before and had only tolerated being picked up when she tried to smuggle him into the castle.

Then, she was struck by a stupid idea.

What would trying to kill an already dead body do?

There had been barely any information about her powers. The books Kagami had handed her had barely mentioned it, and not even she knew the extent of what she could do. If she could kill an entire tree from sneezing, wouldn't she be able to to something else if she put her mind to it?

She decided that it didn't hurt to try when the cat was already dead—she couldn't possibly hurt him any further.

It was through her tears that she sat up, staring down intently at the crumpled body of the cat.

And when it happened, it seemed like minutes had passed.

The cat jerked a paw, crying out in pain.

Startled, she fumbled for her pouch she'd discarded on the floor, picking up one of the vials that she'd tried to use previously. She struggled to hold open his jaw to pour the liquid in, pitiful noises escaping him as he tried to squirm and wriggle away from her—

“Drink it,” she pleaded, voice cracking. “Please.”

He did.

The wound healed before her eyes.

And before she could fully comprehend that, it was no longer a cat in her arms.

A man tumbled from her lap onto the floor, clutching his head and wincing.

Marinette didn't flinch away.

“Do you need more?” she questioned, holding up the vial.

“I—no,” he choked out hoarsely.

It was in that moment that she realised that he was the same demon that had smiled at her previously.

She insisted, “Have it. I've got more.”

His clothes didn't have blood on them, strangely. She wondered whether his skin would be covered in it underneath.

“You—” he tried to say before coughing.

“Here,” Marinette offered, quickly fetching a water marble and pressing it to his lips. “Avoid talking if you need to.”

He accepted the drink, looking worse for wear. His skin was pale against his black hair, cat ears flattened against his head and proving that they were functional.

“I'm sorry you got hurt,” she whispered.

He didn't take her advice. “Are you not scared?”

“No,” Marinette replied, honest. And as she met his gaze, staring up at him, she asked, “Should I be?”

“You are... strange,” he answered slowly, brow furrowing. “You know what I am.”

She blinked. “You're my friend.”

“I am a demon,” he pointed out, frowning.

“You were nice to me,” Marinette pointed out, clasping her shaking hands in her lap. Her clothes were still wet from his blood. “And you—you didn't sell me out before. You lied about not seeing me.”

He tilted his head, bangs falling into his eyes.

“I'm Mari,” she introduced, holding out her hand.

And instead of shaking her hand, he kissed it. “My name is Luka.”

Embarrassed, she took her hand back and stammered out, “N-not Adrien, then.”

“No,” he admitted, not shy in the slightest. “That was—my... friend gave me that collar as a joke.”

“I see,” she answered, tucking some stray hairs behind her ear. “Why did you come here?”

“I wanted to see you,” Luka bluntly told her. “You disappeared.”

“Yeah...” Marinette let out an awkward laugh. “It was a complete accident, I swear. I panicked when I went into the city for the first time and, well, teleported here.”

Curious, he pointed out, “You never returned.”

“Kagami thought it would be best to wait,” she confessed in a whisper before her breath caught in her throat. “She—she's going to be back any minute now. You should leave.”

“You saved me,” Luka stated, leaning forward and staring at her intently with his blue eyes. “You—I was no longer breathing. I know that feeling.”

“You—what?” she choked out.

There was no question in his voice. “I died.”

She avoided eye contact.

Of all the things she expected, it wasn't for him to reach out and clasp her hands into his own and say, “I owe you my life.”

“You—anyone would've done that,” she stammered out.

“Your powers are not common,” Luka responded.

Flustered, she took her hands back, pulling down the ratty sleeves of her shirt to be pulled over her palms. “I-I want to be mediocre. You know this.”

Luka stared.

“Please, don't tell anyone,” she requested, pleading with her wide eyes. “If the king found out—”

He lowered his head. “I promise you, I will not tell a soul.”

With a sigh of relief, she said, “Thank you.”

Luka adjusted how he was sitting, seeming more chipper and healthy than his pathetic state moments ago. “I will not leave your side.”

She blurted, “You—what?”

“I owe you my life,” he repeated, as though that was all the answer she needed.

“It's cool,” she tried to say.

“You have earned my respect,” Luka stated, placing a hand over his heart and doing the half-bow that she'd seen Damocles do countless times. “I will repay my gratitude by protecting you.”

She ended up exclaiming loudly, “Kagami will kill you!”

“I can grant you the freedom you wish,” Luka continued, ignoring her shout. “If you follow me, I can bring you to a safe place.”

Marinette quietly asked, “You've already told others about me, haven't you?”

“I have,” Luka confessed without hesitation. “I have been reporting back.”

It wasn't a surprise.

“You blew your cover by coming here,” she said, looking up at the cracked ceiling with a sigh. “Kagami will tell everyone when she returns. You'll—you can't go back there.”

Luka tilted his head. “You are worrying about me.”

“You already got hurt badly because of me,” she lamented, digging her nails into her palms. “You should really leave. I'm okay. I didn't—I didn't save you because I want repayment.”

Luka shook his head.

She wondered how she always ended up with the stubborn ones.

“I already have a knight that's vowed to protect me,” she exclaimed, gesturing wildly to the door. “She'll be back any moment and kill you again. It's not _safe_.”

He was resolute. “I am not leaving you.”

Marinette wanted to tear her hair out.

-x-

Kagami was livid.

“Please, listen!” Marinette tried to call out.

Kagami ignored her, instead trying to strike Luka with her sword.

She had to keep casting shields, terrified that a hit would get through instead of being absorbed by her barrier. Luka had listened to her saying that she didn't want trouble, vowing that he wouldn't harm her knight, but she didn't think that would mean he would stand there and be readily struck down.

Kagami didn't listen.

Marinette shouted, “Stop it!”

It wasn't from Kagami's own choice that she stopped.

Kagami's feet were no longer on the ground.

In an effort to harm him, Kagami threw her sword across the room from where she was levitating, only for the shield to block it and cause the blade to clatter to the floor.

Marinette hadn't meant to make her float.

“Kagami,” she pleaded, coming to stand in front of Luka with her arms out, trying to cover him. It didn't work well when she only came up to his shoulder. “He's—it's okay. I trust him.”

Kagami looked furious.

It wasn't the usual indifference that she displayed; the slight quirk of her lips that she sometimes gave had felt like an accomplishment, while the angry twist to her facial features was like a slap in the face.

“What are you doing,” Kagami said.

It wasn't a question.

“I brought him back,” Marinette blurted. “It's my fault. I can't—please, don't do that to me again.”

“He is a _demon_ ,” Kagami spat out, not struggling and trying to get down; rather, she'd accepted that she was floating without her consent, only balling her hands into fists. “Get away from him.”

Marinette shook her head. “He's my friend.”

“He is not!”

It was the loudest she'd ever heard Kagami speak before.

She hadn't been that aggravated when demons had originally come into the village and caused them to hide.

“Kagami,” Marinette whispered, lower lip wobbling. “He's been with me for months and never harmed me. He—he's the one that spared me before.”

Kagami's glare was aimed at the demon, not her, but that didn't mean it wasn't hurtful.

“This is Luka,” she proclaimed, stepping to the side and touching his shoulder. “He's staying with us.”

“No,” Kagami rejected.

Luka spoke for the first time to repeat his favourite phrase, “I am not leaving.”

“Your kind is not welcome here,” Kagami ground out, visibly agitated by her body language. “If the king finds you with her, she will die.”

Marinette quietly asked, “Wouldn't it be easier to be disguised if we had an actual demon with us?”

Kagami glowered.

“I could leave the room with him,” she nervously continued on, trying to bring up the best arguments she'd thought of in that short amount of time. “Luka isn't going to do anything. I saved his life.”

Kagami snapped, “You cannot trust them.”

“I trust him,” Marinette insisted, gesturing to him. “Hell, I might trust more demons in the future when I can actually meet people.”

While anyone else would've looked defenceless dangling in thin air, it was different for Kagami. She looked as ready to attack as ever, the furious expression only making her intentions clearer. “We are leaving.”

“You said it's best to wait for the king's men,” Marinette pointed out, frowning. “It'll take weeks, right?”

“That is better than staying here with _that_.”

She retorted, “Luka's a man, not a that.”

Kagami glared at her, too.

Luka spoke up quietly to ask, “You plan on returning to the castle?”

Marinette knew that it was only directed at her.

She clammed up, not knowing what to answer.

Kagami latched onto that, asking, “Do you not?”

“I-I don't know,” she stuttered out, taking a step back and almost stumbling when her legs touched the edge of the bed. She sat down to save herself further embarrassment. “Kagami, you know I never wanted to fight.”

Even without the sword on her hip, Kagami's hand went there as she said, “I will fight for you.”

“But now I know how easy it is to be mistaken for a demon instead,” she replied, smile not reaching her eyes. “And Luka... he says he'll protect me.”

“I will,” he assured her, sitting down with one leg up, resting his arm on his knee as though they were having a casual conversation. His eyes were only on her instead of the threat that Kagami posed. “You have my word.”

Kagami stated, “I will not leave you with a _demon_.”

“Luka,” Marinette called, turning to face him. “Do demons want to kill me and my friends?”

He tilted his head. “No.”

“There,” she said, her gaze returning to where Kagami was floating. “That's assurance that I'm not going to die, right?”

“You should not trust demons,” Kagami told her.

“I'm not trusting demons,” she insisted, gesturing to Luka. “I'm trusting him. It's different.”

“It is not.”

Marinette reaffirmed, “Luka's been my friend for months.”

“He was using you,” Kagami retorted.

“I'm aware of that now,” she agreed with a shrug. “But that's fine. He spared me before.”

“Why were you looking for her?” Kagami demanded.

Luka's simple response to that, “An unknown demon was reported to be here. We investigated to see whether you needed help, and I recognised the smell of your magic on your cloak.”

Marinette gave Kagami a pointed look.

Kagami frowned, still angry.

“I'll let you down if you promise not to attack him,” she offered.

Kagami didn't say anything.

“If I have to revive him again, I'll probably go through a mana potion,” she mused, pointing to where the pouch was discarded on the floor. “And you're the one saying that I should treasure them.”

The response she got to that was, “If he touches you, I will kill him.”

Marinette scooted to create further distance between her and Luka. “That's all I'm getting from you, isn't it?”

Kagami landed with grace.

-x-

Luka had something that neither her or Kagami had.

Money.

It turned out that he didn't need it, though. The colour of his eyes allowed him not to have to pay in the first place when he upgraded their room to one with two beds.

Luka refused to sleep in another room, stating that Kagami would drag Marinette away when he was asleep.

She didn't see how it would be any different if they were together.

There was also the fact that her two companions didn't trust each other in the slightest, so they bickered on who would stay up and keep guard.

Kagami wasn't happy with the arrangement whatsoever. The curve of her lips was always down, a furrow in her brow when she caught sight of Luka, and him thanking the employee that came to the door—taking her job of being the one to answer while Marinette hid—only caused the tension in the room to grow.

Marinette wasn't under any illusion that they would get along.

But when Luka ignored Kagami and smiled at Marinette instead, it made it so much worse.

She kept shields on the two of them as a precaution.

The first night, she'd tossed and turned, too terrified to sleep. Luka's bloody body kept popping up in her head, and she ended up waking up in a sweat multiple times.

His smile in the morning made her breathe a sigh of relief.

“I will get you clothes,” he announced.

Kagami didn't get a chance to protest before he was out the door.

“We're not leaving him,” Marinette shot down before she could even suggest it. “He won't hurt me.”

Kagami breathed out audibly. “You are... impossible.”

She smiled. “Thank you?”

“Your magic is strange,” Kagami remarked, using a towel to dry her hair. “What you did has never been recorded before.”

Her stomach twisted. “Can I ask you to keep it a secret?”

Kagami stared at her.

“Please,” she begged in a whisper. “The king—if they knew, I'd be sent to fight immediately. They'd want me to heal everyone.”

It wasn't a question when Kagami responded, “You are against it.”

“The health potions are already a way to balance it out,” she said, fiddling with a strand of her light pink hair. “You said demons can brew them, so it's even now. I'm not needed.”

“They are your potions.”

“And my friends',” she pointed out. “They're—they're still there, in the castle. I doubt the routine changed because of my disappearance.”

Was it impossible to ask Kagami that?

“Please,” she pleaded. “I don't—I don't want to be used, Kagami.”

Kagami tilted her head. “You will be if you return.”

“I know that,” she answered, hands falling down to her lap as she fiddled with her fingers. “But it would be so much worse.”

It wasn't a question when Kagami replied, “This is why you are putting your trust in a demon.”

“Well, maybe?” she responded with a smile. “Everything's so restricted at the castle. I have a feeling I'd learn so much more with him.”

Kagami frowned. “You do not care for knowledge.”

“I do,” she countered, shaking her head. “But there's a difference between being spoon-fed it and being able to do what you want.”

Kagami didn't question the phrase that time. “You will be in danger.”

“I have shields,” Marinette assured her. “And if I accidentally teleport again, I hope I'll be in a better situation where I actually _know_ stuff.”

For a moment, they only stared at each other.

Then, Kagami tore her gaze away to look at the floor instead. “I will not allow it.”

“I'm not asking your permission,” Marinette replied matter-of-factly. “If you—I'd love for you to stay with me, but I know you wouldn't leave your job.”

“This is my job,” Kagami said.

She raised her eyebrows. “Following me onto demon territory isn't a part of it.”

It was still unclear whether Kagami was saying it out of duty or not. “I will not allow you to be harmed.”

As much as she wanted to believe it was from worrying about her well-being, Marinette's smile didn't reach her eyes as she replied, “I don't have to be your responsibility. You can return to what you were doing before me—no more wasting your days away babysitting.”

Kagami didn't hesitate to say, “No.”

She sighed. “You can't attack Luka.”

“I will not as long as he doesn't touch you,” her knight reiterated.

“What are we counting as that?” she questioned with a laugh. “What if I bump into him?”

Kagami stayed silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥(。・ω・。)


	12. 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari revived luka and healed him, luka pledged to protect her while kagami kept trying to fight him, and a ragtag trio was formed.
> 
> guys, it really is luka!! i'm not lying to you, i swear. i'm trustworthy.............. you can trust me. adrien's coming _later_ , but this trio needs to roam the country and be pals first. i'm taking slow burn to a new meaning. it's gonna be as slow as my kettle boiling on the stove. 
> 
> fun fact for the place names: i keep asking different people for two random words and combining bits of them. they have no deep meaning. 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

Luka bought her a dress.

It was in similar fashion to the ones she'd seen Alya in; loose and flowing, sleeveless, and made of a soft material that was decorated slightly with golden details. The quality of it was much better than what she'd seen from those on the streets.

Marinette looked at him with wide eyes, holding up the garment. “How much did this cost you?”

Luka smiled.

Along with that, he bought her another few sets of clothes, complete with a new pair of boots that were brown. All of the garments had colour rather than the black-and-white scheme that the castle had provided.

He'd gone as far as to get her ribbons to tie into her hair.

Her eyes felt hot.

She'd never been provided something like that before.

It had been luck that the hairbands she'd arrived with hadn't broken, though they were stretched out and in pitiful condition. Between all of her friends, they'd piled up the clips and other accessories they'd brought along, savouring them and attempting to fix them with magic before giving up.

She held the dress to her chest and whispered, “Thank you.”

He didn't get Kagami any new clothes.

However, he did come back with bread that was still warm.

“A bakery opened,” he explained, splitting a baguette with her. “I know you prefer sweet things, but you should eat this first.”

She grasped his hands in hers, ignoring the bread. “You're staying forever.”

Kagami was beside them, fuming.

To try and make peace, Marinette split her piece of bread again, holding it out to her.

Kagami looked entirely displeased with the situation as she ate.

It was awkward between the three of them.

Marinette felt like she had to mediate, to try and stand between them so Kagami wouldn't become violent and get her sword out again. Luka was all smiles when talking to her, but as soon as he addressed Kagami, his expression fell and was as bad as hers.

He wanted to go east.

Kagami was still against them not waiting for help to arrive. The news of Sha-Mi being over taken had been over a month ago, and yet, no help from the king had come yet.

Travelling across the country back to the capital had been the original plan. Kagami had come up with an optimal route that would avoid known trouble, avoid large towns to hide her eyes, and would provide enough shade to spare her from the constant heat.

“Where do you want to go?” Marinette questioned, rolling her clothes up as small as possible.

“I can take you to—” Luka started to say before he cut himself off, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth as he coughed. “...The Demon King could help you.”

Kagami stood stiffly beside her.

Amused, she asked, “You call him that, too?”

“No,” he relied. “It is not wise to say his name in our current company.”

Before they could start bickering again, Marinette enquired, “Should we refer to him as a nickname? I can't imagine you're comfortable calling him that name.”

Luka blinked.

“You are not going to the Demon King,” Kagami interrupted, talking to her directly. “There is no excuse you can make that will spare you the king's wrath if you do that.”

“But—” Marinette tucked some hair behind her ear. “He's going to mad with me anyway, right? I mean, I don't even know the guy. It's not like I'm suddenly going to become his weapon or anything.”

And when she looked to Luka for reassurance, he nodded.

“You do not know that,” Kagami said.

“He can help you,” Luka insisted, smiling slightly.

“No,” Kagami retorted.

Luka finally turned to look at her, any softness in his expression leaving. “You do not understand.”

“You are not trustworthy,” Kagami bluntly told him, taking a step forward. “I will not let you harm her.”

“Mari saved my life,” Luka responded, the cat ears on his head twitching. “I was originally in the castle to extend this offer.”

“Offer?” Marinette questioned, butting in. “What do you mean? I thought you were spying.”

“Well.” Luka pushed his hair out of his face. The cut of it was startlingly similar to Kagami's and the same black colour. “After finding you, I was told to see if anyone has any plans of escaping.”

She frowned. “And?”

“And to extend the same offer to them,” he clarified, fidgeting on the spot. “I—it is not wise to say it now.”

“All of you demons are cowards,” Kagami interjected, the slant of his shoulders tense. “You run at the first sight of danger.”

Luka frowned. “And what do you know?”

“I know enough,” Kagami retorted, hand going to her hip to touch her sword.

Marinette panicked, stepping away from her packing to stand between them. “You said you wouldn't fight.”

Kagami stared, displeasure radiating off of every part of her.

“Please,” she whispered, stomach churning uncomfortably. “If we happen to run into the king's men, I'll agree to go along with them, okay? But for now, I kind of want to explore and learn some more. It's horrible being in an unknown place where everything is kept from me.”

Kagami tore her gaze away from her.

“I've only left this room once to hide,” Marinette quietly pointed out. “How is this any different to the castle?”

Luka spoke to say, “My kind will not hurt you for no reason.”

“Will I blend in?” she questioned, reaching up and touching her head. “It's not a dead giveaway that I don't have ears or anything, is it?”

“No,” he told her. “Not everyone keeps a feature after they shapeshift back.”

“They won't—they won't harm Kagami either, right?” she asked, glancing at her knight in worry. “She's my friend.”

“They will not harm her for no reason,” Luka repeated, not looking away from Marinette's face. “As long as either of us is with her, she will be fine.”

She beamed.

Kagami wasn't any happier.

-x-

Their destination was Mi-Ha.

According to Luka, it was a neighbouring town to Sha-Mi that had been conquered some months before. He said that it had been repaired and upgraded since that time, the townspeople welcoming his kind with guarded ease since demons hadn't threatened them since the takeover.

Kagami was against it.

Luka didn't listen to her.

Marinette made sure to stand between the two of them, watching as they stubbornly went back and forth about who was to be the one carrying their supplies. Kagami refused to let him be trusted with them, while Luka didn't want Marinette's back to hurt from wearing the bag.

So, she was stuck holding up her dress as they travelled through a woodland area.

Marinette hadn't been able to say no when Luka asked her if she'd liked it.

Although it was designed for hot weather—not like the stuffy outfits she'd seen in history books that covered every inch of skin—her cooling charm made that titbit unimportant.

She didn't want to offend him, though.

He hadn't turned back into a cat after saying that he could protect her better how he was.

It was different than when she was hiding in a tree, waiting for hours for the only person she knew to return. She'd been terrified, thinking of the worst things, and hadn't fully been able to appreciate the view.

At least, that was until she got bit by a bug.

“Fantasy world, my ass,” she muttered, rubbing the reddened mark on her skin.

Luka stopped walking, turning on his heel and coming towards as he said, “Here, this will help.”

Kagami wedged the unsheathed sword between them, making her intentions clear.

“I need to touch your skin to cast the spell,” Luka explained, addressing her instead of Kagami. They were both as petty as each other. “It will repel all insects for a few hours.”

“Really?” Marinette questioned, surprised. “There's such a thing? I had no idea.”

“It's why my skin is clear,” he said, gesturing to his face and wiggling his fingers in a surprisingly playful way when there was a sword inches from his heart. “I mean no harm. I can cast it for your friend, if you wish, Mari.”

Knowing that that wouldn't be an option, she asked, “Can you teach me it?”

And so, he did.

Marinette learned a lot.

Compared to her and her friends, Luka was an expert. It seemed effortless when he cast a spell, demonstrating his skills by causing the leaves falling from the trees to shatter into pieces as they drifted in the wind.

While he taught her, Kagami stayed at the back, almost seeming like she was sulking.

It was hard to try and get them to talk for more than threats. Luka consistently ignored Kagami, rarely addressing her, while Kagami butted in and made him move away when he got too close.

Marinette was reminded of children fighting over her back at home.

It brought a smile onto her lips.

At least, that was until Kagami brought out her sword again, trying to stab him.

Marinette's shield stopped it from going through.

Luka seemed to be treating Kagami like a bug, ignoring her attempts of murdering him despite the fact that she'd succeeded before.

Mi-Ha was more developed than Sha-Mi.

It had the same cobblestone roads, surrounded by fields and nature, but the streets were lively. The clothes were more taken care of, more stalls than a singular merchant selling produce, and the reaction to Luka's eyes—as he walked ahead first—wasn't fearful.

There was cautious respect there.

Luka looked over his shoulder, beckoning her over.

Marinette was wary.

“We can stay here for the night,” he said, pointing out the different inns that they could stay in. “And tomorrow, we can buy horses to travel faster.”

The town was developed enough for that, then.

Kagami had the final decision for the inn.

“Are there other demons here?” Kagami asked.

“I do not know,” Luka replied, talking to her but not looking in her direction. “I was not assigned here, therefore I don't have that information. If there is, I will handle it.”

“Handle it?” Marinette questioned.

“I told you,” he said, offering her a smile. “I will protect you.”

Kagami was glowering at him.

For once, they didn't have dinner hidden away in the bedroom. Kagami was fervently against it, insisting that Marinette shouldn't be seen that often, but that was overruled when Luka reminded her that she'd be mistaken for a demon unless she stated otherwise.

It brought up the question why they'd never been told that before.

Sure, she'd been told that some kept animal features, but it seemed like an important detail that they couldn't be told apart otherwise. When fighting, how were demons identified so quickly?

Unless there were unnecessary casualties on both sides from carelessness. Marinette only had fantasy battles and war scenes she'd seen in films playing in her head, and she doubted any of them were correct.

The biggest shock came when they entered a restaurant in the evening only to find that it had magic-powered lights, the same that had been in her room at the castle.

They'd had to light a lamp in the inn before.

Kagami didn't comment on it.

Marinette looked around the room in amazement. It wasn't like the modern and sleek restaurants from her time; rather, it had a lot of wood, hand-drawn signs with the specials for that day, and the crowded tables proved that it was popular.

She was wide-eyed about the amount of people in the room.

And unlike at the castle, they weren't told to run away when she approached them. Some eyed her strangely at first before offering polite smiles, and an employee scampered over and ushered the three of them to a free table.

“This is so cool,” she whispered, unable to take her eyes away from her surroundings.

Luka smiled. “Do you like it?”

“So much,” Marinette gushed, feeling almost giddy from being included in such an experience. It was more akin to the fantastical scenes she'd read in novels. “Are all restaurants like this or is this special? Is it mostly wood because we're surrounded by trees? Is it more convenient?”

Luka laughed. “You have a lot of questions.”

“I have someone that'll answer them,” she replied, honest. “There's so much I want to ask.”

“Ask away,” he encouraged with his smile reaching his eyes. “Think about what you want to eat first.”

“Recommend something for me,” she requested, feeling jittery as she adjusted how she was sitting. “I can't decide.”

He said the magic words. “I have enough money for dessert.”

Marinette's eyes lit up.

-x-

“No,” Kagami rejected.

“It is the best course for our travels,” Luka countered.

And while they fought, Marinette sat cross-legged on the floor, staring up at the two horses that had been bought, not rented. She had no idea how to interact with horses, let alone how to judge if they were worth the money or not. The closest Marinette had ever gotten to riding one was a carousel at the amusement park while her parents cheered her on from the sidelines.

It was so much more intimidating when it wasn't inanimate and painted.

Of course, her having to quip that she only knew how to ride a bicycle led to the two of them bickering about who she'd ride with. Marinette had given up voicing her opinion when they started to raise their voices.

For someone that had barely been with them a week, Luka had managed to make Kagami angrier than she ever had. Until he'd come along, she'd never heard Kagami raise her voice before.

She didn't think it was a compliment.

Marinette was practising her magic more than when she'd been confined in the inn, wasting the days away.

Luka was a treasure trove of information. He gave her tips—telling her to imagine her magic surrounding an object instead of being inside it when she used levitation, causing the result to be smoother—and smiled in encouragement when she didn't complete it perfectly the first time. There was no overwhelming gloom that anything she did that others saw would be used against her in the future.

As she felt the wind in her hair and the fresh breeze, she had to wonder what her friends were doing.

It must've been a year by then.

Marinette's hair was a light pink, the dye faded as much as it could. Her hair would never grow to show the roots, though she quite liked the colour it had turned out as.

She didn't have to deal with haircuts like Kagami did.

Marinette had been horrified the first time Kagami had cut it, barely an inch from her scalp and so short instead of brushing the top of her ears.

She popped a water marble in her mouth, watching them bicker.

Eventually, she clapped her hands to get their attention. “Are we leaving yet? The sun's getting higher in the sky.”

It was after she patted the sunscreen salve onto everyone's faces that they left. Marinette put it on her bare shoulders for good measure, adjusting her ponytail complete with the ribbon to make sure it didn't stick to her.

Marinette ended up riding with Kagami.

Lyss-Ria was a country that was surrounded by large rivers, separating them from their neighbours. She was told that that was a constant in any country in their land; that water was the border that decided which country was which, and that they were difficult to cross over unless a boat was present.

It was days before they reached the river.

Marinette experienced bathing in a creek for the first time.

Luka could hunt and use magic to prepare animals before they could eat them.

It was so startlingly different to being pampered in the castle.

Marinette refused to be coddled any more. She followed after him, demanding that he explain what he was doing and tried to replicate it to abysmal results at first.

Luka didn't find her annoying.

He laughed, allowing her to come along, whispering instructions in her ear and telling her to focus on her magic.

She accidentally killed a rabbit.

Well, the plan had been to kill it by other means, but when it keeled over and stopped moving without being trapped or killed instantly from a stone hitting it with enough force, it was determined that she'd accidentally used her magic to stop the heart.

“I didn't mean to,” she whispered, a bit horrified by the outcome.

It was different when it wasn't a flower wilting because of her.

“Good,” Kagami said, leaning over and picking up the rabbit by the ears. “This is dinner.”

Marinette couldn't help but stare at it, horrified.

“You wanted to kill it,” Luka said, brushing his hands on his trousers as he stood up. “Your magic misunderstood. It happens.”

She swallowed. “Will it happen again?”

He hesitated before replying, “Most likely, yes.”

She winced.

Kagami demanded, “Teach her.”

Luka averted his eyes, looking at neither of them. “I cannot.”

“Why?” Kagami questioned.

“I... have yet to learn it,” he said, choosing his words carefully as he shifted his feet. “Necromancy is near impossible for most to do.”

Marinette squeaked, “ _Necromancy_?”

Luka tilted his head. “Yes. What did you think it was?”

“That's—necromancy is, like, talking to the dead or some shit, isn't it?” she rambled, gesturing wildly to the dead rabbit in Kagami's hand. “I'm certainly _not_ talking to that right now!”

“It is death,” Luka corrected.

Kagami asked, “Resurrection is normal?”

Luka grimaced. “Normal is not the right word.”

“It has happened before,” Kagami murmured, almost in wonder as she turned her gaze to Marinette. “There is no record of that happening for us. Death magic has always destroyed, not resurrected.”

“Luka's not, like, a zombie or anything,” Marinette hastily said. “He's not my undead minion! He's alive and breathing. I just—I kick-started his heart? And fed him health potions.”

Luka interjected, “You brought me back from death. That is your power.”

“Maybe you weren't dead,” she muttered.

“I struck his heart,” Kagami rejected. “You reanimated him.”

“Okay, let's say I did.” Marinette nervously tightened her ponytail. “I didn't—I didn't _mean_ to. And I didn't mean to hurt that rabbit just now. For Luka... I wanted to see what would happen if I tried to kill something that was already dead.”

Kagami thrust the rabbit towards her. “Use it.”

“What?” she spluttered. “No!”

Kagami shook the dead animal.

Marinette jumped back, horrified. “You said you wouldn't make me use dead animals!”

“That was before you could reanimate them,” Kagami responded. “This one might turn back and pledge their loyalty to you, too.”

“Was that a joke?” Luka questioned, surprised.

Kagami ignored him.

“I don't like this situation.” Marinette backed away. “I'm leaving and running where you can't find me. Maybe I'll teleport away and you'll lose me forever.”

“You do not know how to teleport,” Kagami pointed out.

She raised her chin haughtily. “I'll figure it out.”

“It is hard to control,” Luka remarked. “My superior is the only demon I know that is capable of using it accurately for long distances. Mages never mastered it.”

She threw her hands up. “No wonder we ended up in a ratty village!”

“For your first time, it would have been a random location,” he agreed.

“A random location where you were,” Kagami said.

Luka's smile towards her wasn't sincere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥(。・ω・。)


	13. 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** luka offered to take mari to the demon king, kagami and luka kept bickering, and mari accidentally killed a rabbit and learned that she technically used necromancy.
> 
> in chapter one it's stated that saying the demon king's real name grants him power. i thought you'd all latch onto that after adrien the cat turned out to be luka!! but _no one_ guessed it... slkjgdfhfdjfj i am a failure......... this is it................ i'm doomed to never to write a plot twist ever again because i failed this one time.
> 
> excuse me while i go cry (╥_╥)
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

The weather got colder the further north they went.

Marinette got a better idea of the land.

She saw many crudely-drawn maps in the different towns and managed to buy her own to store in her pouch and bring out when she wanted to study the names. While she understood that all the habitable land were large islands that were sectioned out into different countries, she couldn't quite grasp how big they were with pictures alone.

And when she asked how long it would take to travel to each of them, the sense of time didn't make sense to her either. She couldn't compare it to car rides when horses were new to her.

Kagami and Luka continued to refuse to sleep at the same time.

Their relationship hadn't gotten much better, but they were able to bicker for a while before talking to her only.

“Can you teach me healing magic?” Marinette questioned, opening her pouch to count pitiful amount of the vials and pills she had left. “I doubt anyone's going to lend us a cauldron.”

“I can buy more supplies,” Luka offered.

“Not my question,” she replied.

His smile was sheepish. “I am... not good at it.”

“No?” she asked, curious. “But you know the basics, right? That's good enough.”

“I do not.”

“Well, shit,” Marinette muttered.

It was Kagami that questioned, “Why not?”

Luka kept his gaze ahead of them as he said, “I am young.”

Another one of her struggles was getting Kagami and Luka to use contractions in their speech. While the princess, the higher-ups, and even the instructors she'd had for potions had mixed a few into their speech, her two companions were stiff and formal.

She had never heard either of them swear.

“I'm young,” she tried to correct him.

Luka simply replied, “You cannot age.”

She sighed. “Does age make you stronger?”

“No,” he denied.

And with that, he didn't elaborate. Instead, he took a knife off of his belt to cut down some of the plants they were walking through.

“Why not use magic?” Marinette questioned, peering to the side to see him slashing at the plants ahead. “Not that I'm not grateful for your hard work. I'm curious why you're not being lazy.”

“The area is too dry,” Luka replied. “I do not want to start a fire.”

“...Use water to put it out?” she suggested.

He shot that down without hesitation. “No.”

“Why?” she persisted.

“I do not want to attract attention,” he said.

Marinette was going to pester him for more when Kagami chimed in with, “He does not want to alert the town beside us. It is not under his control.”

“Oh,” she murmured, understanding. “The king's?”

“Yes,” Kagami confirmed. “That trading town is a valuable one.”

“But all the others weren't,” Marinette said, not needing to question it. “Because they don't offer anything?”

“Exactly,” Luka quietly replied. “They are not the king's concern.”

“This place is weird as hell,” she remarked. “Like, I'm not saying my world makes sense all the time, but some people do try and live with their enemies. It doesn't always work.”

“Do you miss it?” Luka asked.

“Yeah, sometimes.” She took in a deep breath. “I get sad when I think about the past. I'd rather... not.”

There was no response filled with sympathy from either of them—not that she was expecting one.

Kagami was the one that suggested that they leave the horses behind. They were on the outskirts of the country, near a large river that they'd need to cross by boat soon, and they had no more food left that was suitable for them.

She patted the horses before entrusting the ropes to Kagami for her to walk nearer to the town and tie them up. Marinette hid with Luka in the meantime, terrified of being spotted with her eye colour.

It was as they were crouched in the tall grass watching Kagami walk off that Luka asked, “Do you not want to go?”

“Where would I go?” she questioned. “I might be roughing it and sleeping outside, but this is—this is the most free I've been since coming here.”

“She might get help,” he replied.

“She won't,” Marinette rejected.

He murmured, “You do not know that.”

“Kagami would never endanger me,” she said with confidence. “There's no telling whether I'm a demon, right? Normal civilians are going to assume the worst and try and hurt me. It has to be someone that's specifically looking for me that she'll trust.”

“Someone that knows you have pink hair,” he remarked.

“Yes,” Marinette agreed, smiling. “She won't act without being sure it's right.”

Luka said with a curious lilt to his voice, “You trust her.”

“Why wouldn't I?” she questioned. “She's my friend.”

He quietly asked, “Are you hers?”

“Maybe,” Marinette responded, watching as Kagami disappeared in the distance. “But that doesn't really matter, does it? It's her job to keep me safe.”

“She will not like... my boss,” Luka said slowly, picking his words carefully.

“I'm investigating,” she replied. “If the offer's good enough, I'll tell the others back at the castle. It's still open to them, right?”

“It is,” he confirmed.

Marinette made a peace sign with her hand. “I'm scouting for information, then.”

Luka smiled.

-x-

“I hate boats,” she complained.

Kagami nudged the bucket closer.

Travelling by horses was much more preferable. It hurt her thighs and it was uncomfortable when she had to sit there in front of Kagami the entire time, but it beat feeling nauseated and clutching onto anything in an attempt not to fall over when the boat rocked.

When she'd been told they had to cross a river, she hadn't expected to feel so unsteady, nor that they'd have to travel down instead of across to the other land in sight.

Luka had to vouch for Kagami, saying that she was their companion.

Kagami looked like she wanted to punch him.

Once on land, it was back to travelling on foot until they found a city that would sell them horses.

When she was told the country they were in was called Yves-Ie, Marinette had laughed until her stomach hurt.

It wasn't as warm as Lyss-Ria.

Marinette had learned to condense more items into marbles with Luka's guidance—her clothing, food that they'd picked up along the way, and even a dagger that Kagami had swiped and gifted her a week ago—but then came the realisation that although they were slightly different colours, they were the same shape and hard to tell apart.

One time, she'd assumed she'd reached for a vegetables, only for a spare pair of boots to expand and fall into the cooking pot.

Luka had laughed loudly at that.

The most startling thing was that Luka couldn't replicate it. For once, it was a magic that her and her friends had created on a whim, and as hard as he tried to copy, he never succeeded.

She was getting better at magic in general.

Her magic was more practical; she could start a fire reliably without singeing the area around her, could levitate an arrow and cause it to fly through the air and pierce through something with enough force to kill it if she needed to, along with casting the barrier on specific parts of her and concentrating it to be stronger instead of covering her entire body.

It was different having someone that actually knew what he was doing with her.

Kagami continued to to spar with her, though she didn't injure her. Their medical supplies were to be savoured until they could replenish them somewhere.

“How old do you have to be to learn it?” Marinette questioned.

Luka replied, “It is not a matter of age. I am part of the weakest generation, so those who came before me are more capable of it.”

She almost felt like a toddler as she asked, “Why?”

“There is not—” Luka started before whirling his head around to look at her, fast enough for his hair to move. He was staring at her with wide eyes, mouth opening before closing without uttering a single word.

“What?” Marinette questioned, touching her face.

“I was told not to,” he murmured. “But that—that was before you joined me. Before I had your trust.”

She tilted her head. “Care to share? You're not making sense.”

“My name,” Luka started, sounding uncertain as he reached up and scratched his cheek. “There is a power to it when it comes from you.”

Curious, she asked, “Luka?”

“I was told that is only for your king,” Kagami said, frowning.

He shook his head.

“Oh.” Marinette realised where it was going, recalling that titbit of information from her first day. “Saying your name gives you more power?”

With a nod, he confirmed, “Only from mages.”

“The books say it is for everyone,” Kagami said.

Luka looked uncomfortable as he admitted, “They are wrong.”

“So... if I said your king's name?” Marinette questioned. “That would, like, power him up as well?”

“Any demon's name from your tongue would make them stronger,” Luka elaborated, running a hand through his hair. “It is... a slow process. It has to be uttered hundreds of times before there is a minute change.”

She laughed. “Has Adrien noticed it yet?”

Luka looked alarmed.

“You used another name on your collar for that reason?” Kagami questioned, puzzled.

He swallowed. “I could not object.”

“Is it safe?” Kagami demanded, pointing to Kagami. “For her?”

“You do not lose anything,” Luka said, addressing Marinette directly. “It only benefits. It is one of the reasons the past kings decided to rebel and cut ties with my kind.”

Kagami was the one to ask, “Why not tell others that? If you are telling the truth, that information is lost.”

“I gain nothing from lying,” he replied, actually looking at Kagami as he spoke. “I am not saying this to deceive you. I am well aware that you will tell everything to your king when you return.”

“Question,” Marinette said, raising her hand as though she was in class. “If that's only one of the reasons, why did it all happen? The whole... demons being evil thing, I mean. I haven't been told anything.”

“Greed,” was his simple reply.

Kagami clarified, “On both sides.”

Puzzled, Luka asked her, “You admit your kind are at fault?”

Kagami didn't hesitate to respond, “Not everyone is good.”

With a frown, he questioned, “And you are?”

“No,” Kagami denied, reaching up and pushing her short hair out of her face. “I am aware that if I disobey, I will be struck down. There is no sympathy for traitors.”

“You are allowed to make mistakes,” Marinette pointed out. “Everyone makes mistakes, you know? There's a whole law system in place in my world to try and find out whether the circumstances of the crime means you get pardoned or not. It's pretty crooked and fucked up most of the time, but _sometimes_ it can help.”

Kagami bluntly replied, “Your kind doesn't have swords.”

“Contraction!” Marinette yelled, pumping a fist in victory. “You said it! _Doesn't_!”

Luka sounded amused as he asked, “Does it make you that happy?”

“Of course!” she exclaimed gleefully. “I want you two to be comfortable enough to talk to me informally. It's like talking to two old men all of the time.”

“We are older than you,” Kagami replied.

She grumbled, “I can't age, that doesn't count.”

“You are strange,” Luka remarked, looking at her with a small smile. “You willingly came along with me.”

“I told you, this is a spy mission,” she replied. Then, she tried to emphasise that with a wink, only to wind up making him laugh from her awful attempt. “I _did_ tell that dick Damocles that I'd accept any other offers for help. It's not like I was lying back then.”

Kagami muttered, “Damocles is a fool.”

“Yes!” Marinette cheered. “That's the spirit! Insult more people to me. I want to know all of the gossip.”

“I do not gossip.”

“You just did,” she responded, feeling almost giddy. “You were informal _and_ a gossip. This is my best day yet.”

“Better than when you had cake?” Luka questioned.

“I've still got some here,” she said, patting her pouch. “Are you sure it'll stay fresh?”

“Until you return it to its natural state, I believe so,” he replied. “You will have to test to see whether we're right.”

“Yes!” Marinette cheered again, going as far as to lift a fist in victory at his grammar. “That's more like it! A gold star for each of you.”

“Gold star?” Kagami questioned.

“You've missed out of your childhood if you were never rewarded with one,” she replied.

“Not an actual star, right?” Luka asked.

She sighed. “I wish.”

-x-

The good news of travelling through another country was that they wouldn't have to go on another boat until they reached the border. Luka estimated that it would take more than a few weeks for them to make it that far, while Kagami kept insisting they stop for Marinette to recover her mana and energy naturally.

Marinette had entrusted some of her marbles to her for safekeeping.

The majority of Yves-Ie was under control of the king. It was Kagami that went into the towns for supplies. And instead of staying in inns, they slept outside with Kagami and Luka taking shifts to keep watch. Marinette had suggested that she was capable of doing the same, but they both shot her down.

She'd acquired two babysitters instead of one.

The plus side was that the two of them had loosened up for their speech after so long together.

Kagami and Luka had begrudgingly put up with each other for her sake, though they were starting to talk normally before tensing up and addressing her instead.

They sent Kagami into town for food and see whether any horses were available. While Kagami was fine with stealing clothes and food when merchants had their eyes turned, living animals were a different matter.

“Why won't you shift and let me pet you?” Marinette complained.

Luka laughed. “I am stronger in this form.”

“You don't have to be strong all of the time,” she whined. “You could be cute and adorable. I loved hearing you purr.”

“Maybe when we get to our destination,” he replied.

“I'm holding you to that,” Marinette said, smiling. “How'd you think it's going? She's taking a while.”

He shrugged. “It's Kagami.”

“At least she's stopped trying to fight you,” she mused. “And she only glares at you for, like half the day now. It's an improvement.”

“She does not trust me,” Luka murmured. “That will not change any time soon.”

“Eh, smile at her,” she lamely suggested. “That might help.”

Luka's smile was entirely forced and showed his pointed canines.

She gave him a thumbs up. “Perfect.”

He frowned. “I don't think so.”

“Do you see that?” she asked, squinting and placing a hand over her eyebrows to attempt to give her some shade. “Is that—horses?”

“Yes,” Luka confirmed. And it wasn't until what they were looking at was closer that he informed her, “Humans. At least a dozen of them.”

“Oh,” she said. It didn't hit at first what he meant until she stiffened and demanded, “You mean, the king's men? They're here?”

“That's the flag of Lyss-Ria,” Luka responded, pointing in their direction.

Marinette tried to squint more. “Do I need glasses? I can't see for shit.”

“My eyes are better than yours.” It didn't sound like bragging coming from him. “At the rate they are going, Kagami will see them. They may recognise her for her sword.”

“She's not handing me over unless they specifically know me,” she pointed out. “And this is a different fucking country. They can just—what? March over here?”

“The king of Lyss-Ria holds power over almost all the countries,” Luka replied. “Their leaders bend their knees to him. The capital is where old magic is preserved, so it is not wise to go against him.”

“Well, that doesn't sound practical at all,” she muttered.

“It is not,” he agreed.

They waited for what felt like hours for Kagami to return. Marinette amused herself by singing songs she could vaguely remember from her home and replacing all the words with Luka's name, while Luka either clapped or tried to follow along.

The horses had long since entered the town.

When Kagami appeared, walking briskly and not looking over her shoulder as the king's men followed her, she'd barely came into sight before she was attacked.

Marinette had no time to react before Luka had grabbed her arm and started to drag her in the opposite direction.

She flailed, trying to break free from his grip to understand what was happening. And looking over her shoulder showed that Kagami wasn't running to them; rather, her sword was out as she attacked the men that had arrived with the flag. Marinette watched in horror as Kagami slashed one that tried to ride past on a horse, causing him to slump over and fall grotesquely on the floor.

It was the fact that Kagami was horribly outnumbered that had her terrified.

“Mari!” Luka called, urgently tugging her away.

There was one thing she knew. “We're not leaving her!”

“You—”

Marinette shoved him, taking him by surprise enough to break away and start to run towards Kagami. There was nothing fair about the fight she was witnessing; Kagami could block some blows with her sword, but others slashed her skin and wounded her enough to make her falter.

It was clear they weren't trying to kill Kagami. That would've been accomplished immediately if that was the case.

They noticed Marinette running at them. There were swords pointed her way and a shout that had the word mage in it—

Marinette threw a shield up over Kagami, prioritising her, repeating the action and watching as the slashes failed to connect as she ran.

She fell over before she made it.

Dirt went into her mouth as she scrambled to try and get up. And when she couldn't move, it was betrayal she felt when she realised that Luka was levitating her shoes and preventing her from moving.

Kagami collapsed, clutching her side that was bleeding heavily.

Before Marinette was hit, Luka made the man's chest explode. He grabbed a fallen sword from the floor and promptly threw it to slice through another's neck, impaling it through the skin and causing him to gurgle and slump over.

Luka didn't have to run towards them.

To get rid of multiple at once, he used a horse to crush them. Marinette watched in a mixture of horror and awe as another's legs were bent to unnatural angles in a moment without anything but magic touching them, before the next was strangled by their own cloak.

It looked effortless for him to kill them all.

Marinette had panicked and resorted to trying to shield Kagami from their blows, while Luka had been level-headed and dealt with them in seconds.

She hadn't realised what magic could really do until then.

Luka helped Kagami up, putting her arm over his shoulder as she struggled to stand up, holding Kagami's dropped sword with his non-dominant hand.

Marinette was on the floor as she watched the surroundings trees burst into flames that spread into the town from gusts of wind guiding them.

It was when he was in front of her that he let her move again.

“Luka—” Marinette choked out, lost for words.

Kagami was unconscious, wounds gushing blood and looking even worse from a close distance.

“You can heal her soon,” he said. “We need to get to cover first.”

She threw up before they made it there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥₍ᐢ•ﻌ•ᐢ₎*･ﾟ｡


	14. 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** luka doubted kagami, luka revealed mages saying any demon's name makes them stronger, the king's men attacked kagami and luka showed his powers.
> 
> originally adrien was supposed to appear in chapter fifteen, but i thought it was too rushed. he's now coming in chapter seventeen, please don't hurt me. have kagami comforting mari by kicking her instead. 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“So, the king wants to kill me,” Marinette concluded. “I can't say I'm surprised.”

Kagami tilted her head to click her neck. “It is unfortunate.”

“You say you've been marked as a traitor, but they weren't trying to kill you,” she pointed out, furrowing her brow. “Did they want to question you?”

“To prevent it happening to the other mages, most likely,” was the response to that. “Mistakes should not happen a second time.”

Luka bluntly asked, “Are you going back?”

Kagami frowned at him. “No.”

Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be,” Kagami replied. There was barely any emotion in that response; no tears or anger from what she'd been put through from associating with her, all of the negative emotions pushed down to appear unbothered.

“I am,” Marinette insisted, running a hand through her hair, gripping at the roots tighter than necessary to ground herself. “This—it's all my fault. You're only doing your job and now you're a wanted criminal because of it.”

Kagami stated, “I am still doing my job.”

“Yeah, but you're not going to be thanked for it,” she rebutted. “If you show your face again, you'll be killed.”

Kagami questioned, “Why would I leave you?”

“You don't have to stay with me,” Marinette murmured. “I can—I can go the rest of the way with Luka. You can go off and live however you want. There's nothing tying you to me.”

Stubbornly, Kagami lifted her head up. “I am not leaving.”

Luka suggested, “I can find you a safe place to live. It can be far enough in demon territory so you will not have to be scared of the king.”

The rejection is swift. “No.”

Marinette sighed. “You hate demons, I get it. But—”

“I am not leaving,” Kagami repeated, raising her voice a little. “I will not leave until I have assured your safety and repaid my debt.”

Luka squinted. “Do you mean me?”

“Yes,” Kagami confirmed. “You helped me.”

“I only did that to stop Mari,” he bluntly told her. “I do not care what happens to you.”

Kagami nodded. “The feeling is mutual.”

The Kagami from the beginning would've followed orders without complaint. Marinette didn't need to guess that she would've gone along with the men without fighting back, and she certainly wouldn't have fought back in an attempt to escape.

For as much as she tried to play it off as her doing her duty, Kagami cared.

Marinette's chest felt warm at that.

Kagami was awkward, but they were friends.

It was another matter with Luka altogether.

“Great, you're not friends,” Marinette said, clapping her hands once to get their attention. “Can we get you out of those bloody clothes first? I have spares for you somewhere.”

Kagami looked down at her ruined outfit.

Luka snorted.

The trauma of what had happened didn't hit for a few hours.

-x-

Kagami and Luka were almost at the stage for banter.

They'd moved past Kagami trying to maim him a while ago, thankfully. The stint with the king's men had caused them to stop glaring at each other, though that didn't mean that they were immediately friends.

It had been weeks since Marinette had been scared she'd wake up to either of them murdering the other. All of the time on the road had loosened them up, enough so that Kagami gave in and wasn't as stubborn about trying to do everything she could that didn't involve magic.

That didn't mean that she wanted to acknowledge it directly, though. There was a difference between getting along with a demon begrudgingly because of who was in their company and admitting that they weren't automatically evil because they weren't human.

“No,” Kagami said.

“You are being too narrow-minded,” Luka told her, though there was no heat in his voice. He sounded close to bored as he led the way up the rocky path of the hill. “Demons can offer things that humans cannot. Your hospitals are already overrun with patients that have no hope of being cured.”

Marinette was in the middle of them, happily listening to them talk without butting in. Sometimes when she let them ramble, she learned more than if she was the one asking the questions.

“Trading control for potions is not the way forward,” Kagami countered. “Denouncing the king is a death warrant. Second chances are not given easily.”

Luka sighed. “And what of the places that have successfully been under our control for decades?”

“They have no contact with the outside,” she replied. “Travel is restricted. Without forged documents, they are unable to cross the rivers to visit other countries.”

Marinette didn't mention that they hadn't had to use documents to board their boat.

He asked, “Is that what you really think?”

“I know,” Kagami countered. “I've witnessed it.”

“Have you?” Luka didn't sound convinced. “Unlike in the capital, humans don't have to be identified to visit other settlements. They can travel freely. A lot choose not to because they don't have the courage to do so.”

“You say you provide them a better life, yet now you are telling me they're too scared to travel,” Kagami said. “How is that any better?”

“Their quality of life is better,” he countered. “I've seen the starving villages with my own eyes. How can you say the king is right to ignore them?”

Kagami sounded hollow as she replied, “You do not provide for the weak.”

“We do,” Luka stated, leaving it at that.

And yet, the topic wasn't dropped. Marinette didn't need to turn around to know that Kagami was pissed off as she accused, “You do not protect them.”

“No?” Luka questioned, looking over his shoulder with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. “What makes you say that, knight? You're the one that's been abandoned here, not me.”

“The king is not the first to do so,” Kagami spat out. “I have experienced your kind's generosity before. As soon as danger came, they fled with their tails between their legs.”

“Strange, tails are not usually a feature we keep,” Luka mused. “Are you sure you're not imagining things?”

Kagami's voice was flat. “I did not imagine my family dying because you demons escaped and left us to die.”

Marinette suddenly felt small and completely out of place between them.

The death of Kagami's family was one that she knew before, but not the reason behind it. Suddenly, it made sense why she had no faith in Panya if she'd grown up in a demon-ran village before being abandoned.

Kagami had said that no one was spared when the king's men came to fight.

The princess had spared her life—that was also a titbit that she knew, but now it was fitting together into a personal puzzle that wasn't hers to know.

“Is that where this animosity is coming from?” he asked, keeping his gaze ahead. “I am not a representation for every demon, just like you are not every human.”

“I do not like you,” Kagami told him.

“That's nice,” Luka replied, the laugh that left him entirely forced. “I am not fond of you either. It's not the most pleasant thing being killed, you know.”

Kagami replied, “You were reckless. It's not my fault you let your guard down.”

“I was happy to see Mari,” he said in return. “I thought you would have continued to be oblivious that I differ to a normal cat.”

“Normal cats cannot make it across the country,” she replied. “Do not think so little of me.”

“I have promised not to hurt you,” Luka reminded her. “As long as you have Mari's best interests in heart, I will not lay a hand on you. And I won't allow anyone else to.”

It was almost a grumble as Kagami said, “I'm a criminal because of you.”

“It's my fault over anyone else's,” Marinette chimed in for the first time, sure her nervousness was coming across in her voice. “I fucked up and teleported us. If it wasn't for that, we would've still been in the capital.”

Kagami kicked the back of her leg.

Marinette shrieked.

“Children,” Luka chided. “We are not in friendly territory. Keep it down.”

“Okay, dad,” Marinette muttered.

He laughed. “I'm not your father.”

“How old are you?” she asked.

“Twenty-one.”

She tried to say, “And in human years that's—”

“Twenty-one,” he repeated, amused.

Marinette clapped. “You two are the same age! That's even more reason for you to get along.”

Kagami kicked her again.

“I regret healing you now,” she grumbled, limping a little from the sudden throbbing in her leg. “I should've left you bloody and defenceless to make you like me more.”

“I like you,” Kagami replied, emotionless as ever.

She snorted. “That's so reassuring.”

-x-

“So,” Marinette started, drawing out the sound of that single word. She was sat on a rock, kicking her feet as she watched Luka slowly turning the the meat above the fire. “Why do you get stronger from me saying your name?”

“I do not know the exact details of it,” he replied, sitting with one leg propped up so he could rest his arm on his knee, lazily holding the stick out to cook the food. “It is simply... accepted now. I'm sure there are some books somewhere that would have more information.”

Kagami had gone to scout the area, preferring to go alone.

She huffed. “What good are you if you can't tell me anything?”

“I am trusted with fire, unlike you,” he pointed out.

Marinette glared. “I'm not good at controlling fire yet.”

“Accepting your faults is good,” he praised, smile showing his canines.

She scoffed. “You can tell me I'm shit, it's okay.”

“I would never,” he denied.

“I don't even say your surname, so wouldn't it... empower all Lukas out there?” she theorised, putting her hands back on the rock and staring up at the sky that was darkening above them. The sight of all the stars had slowly lost its charm the longer they were camping. “Because none of this is really clear.”

Luka's response was to ask, “Surname?”

“Last name?” she replied, tilting her head.

It hadn't really hit her that no one had been introduced with a surname; not even the princess, or any of the other members of staff at the castle.

“It is not a custom here,” he clarified.

She frowned. “There's a king and a princess, but is there... I don't know, a duke? That's usually a thing for these places, I think.”

“I do not know what that is.”

“No other noble titles?” she questioned.

“As you said, it is limited,” Luka pointed out. “For kings, queens, and their direct children only.”

It didn't make much sense to her, but she was thankful that it wasn't something she'd had to focus on. Alya had never been offended when they addressed her casually, and none of the guards had reprimanded them for not being overly formal.

Then again, that probably wasn't the case for anyone native to the world.

She persisted and asked, “You really have no clue why you get stronger because of me?”

“I do not have that information,” he admitted. “Mages have been—the last record of a mage being born in this land is from over a century ago. There are some myths passed around, but I cannot tell you the validity of them.”

“Well, does you saying my name make me stronger?” she asked.

There was always the chance that it was because she hadn't given her full name.

“No,” Luka denied.

She blinked. “No?”

“We are not the same species,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“ _What_.” It didn't come out as a question. “We're not—what? What? When you were going to tell me _this_?”

Looking over his shoulder to look at her, his unimpressed response was, “Can you turn into an animal?”

Marinette threw her hands up in exasperation. “I don't know, like, half of what I can do!”

“Did you not—did the castle teach you anything?” he muttered, running a hand through his hair and pushing it away from his face. He pointed at his face. “Demon.”

She frowned and copied him. “Human?”

He seemed pleased with that response. “Exactly.”

“That... explains nothing,” she told him, incredulous. “What are you even talking about?”

“The key difference between us is ageing,” Luka explained, taking a skewer off the fire and passing it to her to eat after he'd inspected that it was fully cooked. “Your potential for magic depends on how much you train and becomes stunted as you get older. That was the problem for mages that were born here in the past—past their prime, their powers started to diminish before being inaccessible.”

She gratefully started eating, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “And you?”

“It is luck,” he said. “I was born with a high aptitude for magic.”

“And me saying your name, like, nudges it a bit more?” she queried, trying to understand what he was trying to say. “Unless you mean it's luck whether you can get stronger or not—”

“It seems to be decided at birth,” Luka admitted, inspecting another piece of food before placing it down safely for Kagami when she returned. “It cannot be fully evaluated until puberty, though. Magic comes in gradually as we grow up.”

“Right, so I've got a magic tongue that helps you beat genetics a little,” she concluded. “And I don't need to worry about getting wrinkles and losing my magic because I'm not even from this world.”

He nodded. “Correct.”

“Do you lose it?” she questioned.

Luka simply replied, “No.”

“No?” she persisted. “Why?”

“My species is superior to yours,” he said.

Marinette scoffed. “You just told me that I'll be able to get better at magic than you.”

“You are a different case,” Luka pointed out, rotating his own food over the fire and brushing off some of the ash that had landed on him. “After our bodies are fully developed, we... stop.”

She frowned. “Stop?”

“Ageing,” he clarified. “What is the point of being weak with old age? My kind are not like yours.”

“What the fuck?” she blurted, almost spitting out her mouthful from surprise. “You— _stop_. As in, you don't age even a little bit like me?”

“Somewhat,” he agreed, amused by her reaction. “My hair will continue to grow, though. Sorry to disappoint you there.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you fucking with me?”

“I am being serious,” Luka assured her. “I can die from the same wounds as you, so it isn't as though I'm a god.”

Marinette was still suspicious. “You're not going to say you are one later, right?”

“No.” He laughed. “I am simply a demon, Mari.”

She hummed. “Sure.”

“It's true,” he insisted.

“You're the bad guys for your eternal youth,” she muttered, pointing her food at him. “I'd want you dead, too.”

He wasn't insulted in the slightest. “It is evened out with our terrible birth rate.”

“Weak sperm, got it,” Marinette concluded. “You can't have it all, eh?”

-x-

Back in her world, Marinette had never been on a hike.

She'd never participated in a marathon, was below average at all sports at school, and chose to spend her free time lazing around at home instead of going out to meet up with friends. The time with her parents had been treasured, and remembering being cosy on the sofa with a blanket wrapped around her seemed like such a distant memory.

It had been over two months since she'd been on the road with Kagami and Luka.

There was a routine now; a rhythm to things as she washed clothes in a creek and took a bath there instead of wasting her mana to conjure enough clean water to get the job done. While it meant lowering her standards a little, it wasn't that bad.

Kagami had no complaints about the food.

Marinette was still squeamish about skinning animals for their meals.

The emotions she felt outside were ever-changing.

There were times where she was huddled up in her blanket to sleep, tears welling up in her eyes as she remembered the ease that Luka had murdered guards to protect Kagami. It was brutal and over in a matter of seconds, so fast that it could've been a daydream if it wasn't for her frantically pouring a health potion down Kagami's throat after and getting covered in blood in the process.

She could still remember how it felt on her hands.

Yet when Luka laughed with her and smiled, she didn't feel any fear.

He'd never done anything to be threatening towards her; sure, his first impression when she'd been in the tree had been terrifying, but that hadn't been his intention.

They were all awkward in their own ways.

It wasn't a common thing to trust someone so fully to protect her life, yet she'd managed to find two.

There were days where it wasn't optimal to keep moving. When it was raining too hard, they sought shelter and stayed there for as long as necessary, fetching wet wood and stubbornly using fire on it until it caught alight and stayed providing them warmth.

Marinette had lost count of how long she'd had dirt underneath her nails.

With Luka, she had someone who knew more answers to her ridiculous questions.

“So,” she started, pointedly looking down at her fingers. “If I lost a nail, would it grow back with a potion?”

He closed his eyes, crossing his arms to try and stay warm. “Yes.”

“What about teeth—”

It was only when Kagami demanded for her to be quiet that she listened, letting there be some silence. After all, she couldn't fill in every lull in conversation with her babbling.

That didn't mean she didn't try, though.

When they came across a demon city, Marinette was overjoyed.

It was one of the biggest that they'd been to thus far; with tall walls that made the inside unable to be seen from a distance, stepping through one of the guarded entrances felt like an out of body experience. She had to wonder whether the capital would've been like that, though she'd never seen past the small snippet from the castle and the carriage she'd stepped out of.

She excitedly took Kagami's hand and tugged her around, inspecting all of the streets.

There was even a fountain with a statue in the middle of the city, surrounded by different kinds of plants that were still in season in the winter.

She marvelled at it.

The statue wasn't of a person, though.

“Are there any ones of Panya?” she asked, directing the question at both of them. “For all the places we've been, I don't think I've seen... anything?”

“Panya does not have a appearance,” Kagami informed her, sitting down on a bench with a sigh, stretching out her legs.

Luka made a noise that was suspiciously like a snort. “Humans believe Panya to be the one that made mana accessible to them in the first place.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Panya made mages?”

“That is the belief,” Kagami confirmed. “It's more... everything good?”

“Fuck us, I guess,” she muttered. “Let a faceless being get the credit, okay.”

Luka laughed.

“You're not wrong,” Kagami agreed.

While she'd known that Kagami didn't believe in Panya, she'd never been so open about it before.

“No one's making human sacrifices to this god, are they?” Marinette bluntly asked. “Or anything else shady? Just to make sure. I'm curious.”

“No, there is no tradition of that kind,” Luka informed her.

She made a thoughtful noise. “How did they summon me here, then?”

There was no response to that.

She sighed. “I'm starting to suspect that no one's ever going to be able to tell me that.”

“My... boss might be able to,” Luka awkwardly pointed out, still finding it hard to address him like that. “There is a lot that I don't know. He is... the most knowledgeable person I know.”

Kagami muttered, “And the most evil.”

Marinette clapped her hands. “Let's not fight.”

She got twin glares for that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥(´；ω；`)


	15. 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari and kagami became wanted criminals, more of kagami's backstory was revealed, and mari learned about demons and panya.
> 
> this is the last chapter of it only being the trio travelling!! i hope it wasn't too tedious to read?? let's be serious, if this was all a one-shot, this wouldn't have been any shorter.
> 
> the original plot line, that had juleka as mari's knight, had the demon they met up and travelled with as chloé!! she's wasn't going to be a cat and i hadn't figured out how to include her. that was all before i became galaxy brain and realised i could have kagami with a sword _and_ have luka as mari's close friend. 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

They stayed in the city for a few days.

There was no desperate need to travel the country any more. Marinette and Kagami had since accepted that there was no turning back and returning to the castle, and Luka seemed fine to take their journey slow as long as they stayed somewhere safe in the meantime.

Marinette felt like a kid as she dragged them around the city, experiencing new things for the first time.

Cafés weren't that different from back at home. The selection of food and drinks were different, of course, but there was something so startlingly familiar about the smells and atmosphere that she'd felt choked up from stepping inside at first.

Along with the vendors on the streets, there was a puppet show. Marinette had stood there and watched it for longer than others did, finding comfort in that small activity to pass the time. Without phones and the internet, entertainment was hard to come by.

It was much better than being locked up in her room with only fairy-tale books to read, though.

They stocked up on goods.

While she could shrink food and keep it from rotting, coldness and heat disappeared until it was the temperature of her pouch while it was condensed. So, she insisted that they had to eat everything they wanted from a bakery when they stumbled across one.

Her stomach hurt afterwards. “I ate too much.”

Kagami was entirely unimpressed.

It was worth it to experience food that they hadn't had to improvise on the road. And while Kagami continued to say that she wasn't a fan of sweet foods, she didn't reject eating anything that was put in front of her.

All Marinette had to do was nudge food her way or put it on her plate when Kagami wasn't looking for it to be eaten.

It was a wonder that Kagami's complexion looked better when she had dirt smeared on her skin than from staying in the castle.

Marinette condensed new clothing for each of them, squishing them down to marbles and placing them in separate little bags in her pouch so they wouldn't get confused. And along with that, Luka used his money to let her pick whichever books she wanted to buy from the store, allowing her to splurge and buy a novel that wasn't helpful to them in the slightest.

Kagami stiffly rejected buying anything for herself.

It was normal for them all to stay in the same room by that point—having a room in itself was a luxury that she'd missed from being outside for so long.

Winter was starting to get harsher.

Luka assured her that it wouldn't snow until they were further north.

It didn't make her feel any better when her ears hurt from staying outside in the cold for too long.

Marinette didn't bring up her selfish request to stay in the city until it was spring.

Luka had abandoned his duties to be by her side, and although he was fulfilling the request and taking her across multiple countries to see his superior, he'd been cut off from all others to protect her.

She couldn't ask him to stay detached for much longer because she was cold.

When they left the city with replenished supplies, Marinette was given permission to ride on a horse with Luka instead.

She stared at Kagami, wide-eyed. “What's gotten into you?”

Kagami breathed out audibly. “He can be trusted.”

It was as good as saying that she liked him, wasn't it?

Marinette flew at her, pulling her into a hug.

Kagami stood there stiffly, not wrapping her arms around in return or doing anything other than staying still. It was one of their awkwardest hugs yet, prompting Marinette to squeeze tightly until she got a reaction.

It was Kagami stomping on her foot.

She laughed loudly.

Riding with Luka wasn't any better.

“My thighs,” she complained, leaning back and resting against Luka's chest. Unlike with Kagami, the height difference made it so she didn't keep hitting her in the face when she shifted to try and get comfortable for the journey. “How do you deal with this?”

“You're acting like a princess,” Luka said, amused.

She huffed. “I'll take that as a compliment.”

“You should braid your hair,” he suggested. “The look would suit you, too.”

Marinette touched her ponytail. “You think?”

Other than the dress she sometimes wore, she didn't do anything fancy for her appearance. At the castle she'd had more of a chance to wear it down since she didn't do much with her time, while on the road it was practical to keep it off of her face.

“My... boss,” Luka awkwardly started, choosing to adopt that title for the Demon King that time. “He will provide everything you need when we get there.”

She smiled. “I'm not doubting that.”

“He will look after your friend,” he said.

“That would be nice,” she agreed, shifting and almost losing her balance. Luka caught her and corrected her posture so she was sitting upright. “The offer's still going to be extended to my other friends, right?”

“Yes,” Luka assured. “The hard part will be getting to them first.”

“I'll just get really good at my shield and barge my way in there,” Marinette joked. “It'll be foolproof. If they can't hit me, how are they going to restrain me?”

He mused, “That would be tiring.”

“Were you tired when you saved Kagami?” she asked. “I've never seen you do so much magic before.”

“A bit,” he admitted. “It's... not often that that happens.”

“What? You killing people?” she quipped.

His voice was quiet. “You don't seem upset.”

“I deal with my problems through humour,” she said with a laugh that wasn't entirely sincere. It wasn't a secret that he'd heard her crying late at night and hadn't commented on it. “I'm terrible at funerals. You wouldn't believe all the dirty looks the rest of my family gave me because of it.”

“Funerals are not common for us,” Luka revealed. “I have never been to one in my lifetime. If we—if we decide to die, the good-byes are already said.”

“Suicide?” Marinette asked before wincing, realising how callous she'd sounded. “I mean, if you can't age—”

“We can still get illnesses,” he pointed out. “But sometimes, yes.”

Her throat felt tight at the mention of that. “And that's—that's fine? Accepted?”

“It's cruel to make someone live for too long,” Luka softly told her, adjusting his hold on the reins around her. “And add to that how rare it is to conceive, there's nothing left to live for when you have experienced almost everything you can.”

She didn't know what to say to that.

So, she didn't say anything for a while. Marinette used her hand to try and block the sun from getting in her eyes, squinting up at the sky and trying to determine how long until they'd be under shade for a break.

It was a whisper when she asked, “Would you—would I be expected to use my powers? To resurrect, like I did with you?”

Luka's response was, “You're not the only one that can resurrect.”

“Oh, does your king run around reanimating everyone?” she questioned, mostly as a joke. “That sounds tiring.”

“He revives all that he can,” he replied.

“All?” Marinette said, looking up to try and see his expression, only to bump her forehead into his chin. She sat upright after that. “That's—that's not optimal at all.”

Luka quietly told her, “That is another why the human king despises us. He doesn't like that he's not in control of such a power.”

“What? He wants your boss to just revive everyone?” she asked, bewildered. “Or just those he deems important? It would become corrupt quickly. People would bribe their way to the top and demand their family be healed first.”

“That is exactly what happened,” he confirmed. “Humans—everyone is greedy. It's a different kind when they're so weak compared to us.”

“You could kill them all in an instant,” Marinette pointed out. “Don't they realise that?”

He sighed. “They are stubborn.”

“I can see why mages died out if they were treated like property,” she muttered.

“That's why I was sent to offer you freedom,” Luka replied, slipping an arm around her waist to adjust her posture once more. “The last hero stayed with us until she left.”

“She, is it?”

“I—that wasn't mine to tell,” he stuttered out, clamming up.

“Just like you're not supposed to tell me about saying your name,” Marinette said, singing the last few syllables. “You can trust me, you know? If we run into your friends, I'm not going to blurt out all of your secrets.”

He adjusted his hold on the reins. “I will have to say what you did for me.”

“Yeah, but that's kind of a big deal,” she teased, reaching up and running her fingers through her ponytail. “You spilling a few secrets is nothing in comparison to resurrection.”

He agreed quickly, “You're right.”

“Do you know anything else about her?” Marinette asked. “The hero.”

It was curiosity that had her talking. The limited information she had was adding up with each day; and while her knowledge of the world had expanded, along with knowing more about the other beings that were supposedly the enemies of humans, the previous person that had been summoned was still shrouded in mystery.

“It was before my time,” Luka admitted. “I've heard rumours, but I don't know how much truth there is to them.”

“The castle couldn't even tell me a gender, so you're already ahead,” she replied with a laugh. “Is information really that hard to come by?”

“My... boss destroyed a lot of it,” he whispered.

She blinked. “Oh.”

“It was to protect her,” Luka quietly elaborated, leaning closer so she could feel his breath on her ear. “He hoped to stop another summoning. I—he was angry when he found out you and your friends were dragged into this.”

That was somewhat comforting to hear.

With a smile, she replied, “He sounds like a good guy.”

“He is,” he whispered. “He's not... he's not the monster they make him out to be. None of us are.”

She didn't need to be told that any more.

-x-

Marinette broke her leg.

She slipped and fell back down the hill, ending up on the rocks with her leg bent awkwardly. The first hit had consumed her shield. Kagami had been the one to shove a pill into her mouth as she sobbed, while Luka apologised for not reacting fast enough to stop her.

“That's the biggest injury I've gotten since I've been here!” Marinette exclaimed, expecting some praise.

“The others are from me,” Kagami replied.

“Well, some were from Luka tripping me,” she grumbled. “Besides, if I die, drag my corpse to the Demon King and ask for me to be revived. It'll be easy.”

Kagami stared.

“What?” Marinette questioned, turning to look at Luka. “Am I wrong? Would he ignore me?”

“If your body is healable and he knows you consent to it, he would revive you,” he said, giving her that same strange look that Kagami was. “You joke about the strangest things.”

She threw her hands up. “I told you, it's how I cope.”

“You've been asking me to kill you almost weekly,” Kagami pointed out.

“And I meant it.”

Kagami responded, “No.”

“For real, kill me. It'll be quicker if you lug my corpse across the country instead of trying to protect me the whole time,” she lamented. “I'll be the Snow White to the Demon King's—I don't know what the guy's called. He'll kiss me, then us and you two dwarves will live happily ever after.”

Luka was amused. “You are so strange.”

“You're missing out on a lot of films,” she replied. “Moving pictures tell stories so much better than books when you hate reading.”

“There's theatre,” Kagami pointed out.

“Oh, are you going to take me to a show?” Marinette questioned. “I'll be your date.”

“I have never been.”

“I have,” Luka spoke up. “They're usually in the cities. Between work, my superior enjoys funding them. There is a chance that we could run into her.”

Kagami tried to talk sense into him. “We do not have time for that.”

“I missed my check-in when I bumped into you two,” he pointed out, crossing his arms and trying to keep warm in addition to the fire in front of them. “If we're lucky, it will reduce our journey and save us suffering through the cold for months more.”

Marinette had to ask, “Would that include sneaking into a city or will it be demon friendly—”

“It is safe,” was Luka's way of saying that the king had no authority there.

Kagami was against the idea all the way until she caught a cold from getting drenched in the rain.

They stopped off at a safe village at first. There was only one inn, the standard of room threadbare and dusty, but none of them complained.

Kagami refused to use a health potion to recover.

Marinette crushed up one of the pills and slipped it into her food instead.

And when morning came and she'd recovered, Kagami didn't brag that her body was strong or even mention it. Instead, she packed their belongings and ushered them out while there was still sunlight, being the one to suggest that they head to the nearest city.

Luka informed her that it was one of the safest ones.

The horses were sold for extra money when they arrived. It wasn't the best price that they would've received, but the animals weren't being well-cared for when they were outside; Marinette would rather see them go to someone that genuinely wanted them than wait out until they could be overpaid.

“I've never even had a pet before,” she complained, patting the horse one last time before leaving it. “But this feels like I'm being stabbed in the heart every time.”

Kagami pointed out, “You had a cat once.”

Luka laughed.

The city was as impressive as the last one they'd stayed at.

There wasn't any charm lost from the rough week of travelling; the streets were clean, vendors were outside on the roads a good distance away from where horse-drawn carriages went down allotted paths, and hedges and plants were spread throughout, adding a pleasant touch to the area.

It was winter so the flower garden that the city was famous for wasn't open.

She didn't say that she wanted to come back in the summer for it.

As with other demon-ran areas that had been taken over for a good period of time, humans didn't give them distrustful looks. As long as they had money, they were welcomed into an inn, pubs served them, and merchants were polite even before they noticed that Kagami was the only human amongst them.

Then a strange thing happened—a child shouted Luka's name.

Luka waved, his smile showing his teeth.

“I was here a few years ago for the restoration,” he explained when the child left, a bit embarrassed as he ran a hand through his hair, cat ears twitching from the contact. “My powers were too temperamental for me to help. I was assigned to talk with the locals instead.”

“How trusted are you?” she asked.

“My... guardian is high,” he replied. “He wanted me to prove myself.”

Amused, Marinette questioned, “By sneaking into the castle where the princess is allergic to fur?”

He mumbled, “That was not common knowledge.”

She laughed.

It was a few days until there was a theatre show.

They stayed in one room in an inn. Though they were friendly, Kagami and Luka refused to sleep at the same time and trust her to keep guard. It didn't matter that they were within a safe city; Marinette found that they were equally as stubborn when they decided on something.

She preferred sleeping with Luka since Kagami would kick her if she got too close in the night.

When the day came, she felt sick.

Luka had said that there was only a chance that his superior was there. And that even if they failed to meet them, if they managed to bump into another demon that could verify that he was alive and well was enough.

It had been the three of them for so long that she didn't want to change that so suddenly. Although she's had days to come to terms with the possibility of it ending, it was only really hitting her as they crossed the street and approached the theatre.

She would've preferred to watch the puppets again.

So, she tried to get rid of her nerves in a different way.

“I just want to hug,” she lamented, leaning on Kagami as they waited in line to get in. “I show my love through touching.”

Kagami kicked her shin.

It was clear that money had gone into the building. The lighting was controlled by magic rather than candles, the stage was large and had a curtain across it, and there was enough space to fit what she estimated to be close to a hundred people. It was grand in a way that she hadn't expected from a place where she'd been riding a horse for travelling.

“Wait,” Luka said, stopping them from going to their seats before they'd even found them. “We have somewhere to check first.”

It showed his trust in them as he led the way, not looking over his shoulder to check that they were following.

With every step, her stomach twisted uncomfortably.

He approached a door near the back, knocking twice before waiting for someone to open it. Luka smiled and leaned in to whisper to the human that had answered before they stepped aside to let them through.

Marinette curiously wandered after him, Kagami taking her position at the back.

The end of the hallway turned out to be a dressing room.

When someone answered his knock, he was greeted with smiles.

As she looked around nervously, she noted that everyone that she could see was a human; the ones getting into their costumes and the staff flittering around making sure that everything was prepared. It was a shock, almost reminding her of the clumsy school plays that she experienced, but the quality was so much better.

Luka crossed the room confidently, coming to stand beside a woman that was putting make-up on an actress.

“Chloé,” he called out. “I hoped you would be here.”

Marinette paused, feeling entirely overwhelmed.

There was a dynamic between the three of them—a safety blanket that she'd built up and come to accept. When she had barely anything to her name after being thrust into a different world, she'd wanted to keep the comfortable things selfishly to herself.

But as she saw Luka's smile reaching his eyes, it made her realise how horrible she'd been for thinking that she wanted to keep him with her. He had people that loved him, a job that allowed him to interact with humans and built up trust ever since he'd been granted permission to do so—

And she'd unintentionally dragged him away from that.

Her eyes felt hot.

Kagami came to stand beside her, their shoulders brushing from the close distance that reminded her that she wasn't alone.

It didn't do anything to soothe her emotions.

“Fuck off, I'm busy,” was Chloé's response, not looking up from where she was correcting the make-up on the actress. “You know not to bother me before a show.”

Luka laughed. “I have someone to introduce you to.”

They had a good relationship.

While Luka had said that she was his superior, a glance at their banter had Marinette feeling nauseated.

“I do not care,” Chloé snapped, shooting him a glare. “You're supposed to be missing, not turning up here to ruin my work.”

Marinette fiddled with her belt from not knowing what to do with her hands.

“This is Chloé, one of my superiors,” Luka happily announced, turning to them with a smile while he put his hand on Chloé's shoulder only for it to be slapped away. “She's also the only one that can teleport accurately.”

It felt daunting.

Marinette swallowed. “Hi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥₍ᐢ•ﻌ•ᐢ₎*･ﾟ｡


	16. 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** kagami admitted to trusting luka, mari learned there's another necromancer, luka confessed that the previous hero was a girl, and chloé appeared.
> 
> it took over 50k but adrien is coming... next week. for now, enjoy chloé being a nuisance and kidnapping mari in the middle of the night. don't sleep in a room with strangers, kids. 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

There was a lot of staring.

Marinette shifted on her feet, not meeting Chloé's gaze.

Luka looked so happy standing there, proud that they'd made it that far and had essentially found a shortcut that could cut months off of their travelling. And yet, the dynamic that the three of them had had was built on how long they'd spent together and all that was left on their long journey.

Before she'd come to terms with the fact that she'd be before the Demon King in what could've been a few hours, she was in front of his superior.

Chloé didn't have a wrinkle to her skin, of course. It was hard to come to terms that demons wouldn't show their age through their appearances unless they were young.

Her skin had a light tan to it, clad in a loose dress completed with jewellery around her forearms, and her braided hair rivalled that of Alya's for how intricate it looked. There was nothing common about her appearance—she'd stand out on the streets compared to everyone from how lightly she was dressed regardless of quality.

Chloé squinted, not saying anything.

Marinette was reassured when Kagami came to stand beside her silently, almost touching shoulders.

Chloé eyed the sword on Kagami's hip. “You planning to use that?”

Wisely, Kagami didn't say anything.

Luka stepped in front of her, obstructing them from view. “They're safe. Do you think I would have brought them otherwise?”

Chloé snorted. “Is this the one you put on the collar for?”

“That—”

“Yes or no, Luka,” Chloé interrupted, leaning her body to the side to peer around him. “Did you poach one of the king's men while you were at it? Admirable.”

“This is Mari,” he said, stepping aside to gesture to her. “And her knight, Kagami. The king has labelled them as traitors.”

Marinette nodded in acknowledgement before looking anywhere else.

She imagined that Kagami's response was much the same.

Chloé hummed, a drawn-out sound that only made her feel more on edge. “She's the one.”

Luka didn't hesitate to reply, “Yes.”

Her stomach twisted uncomfortably.

“Funny,” Chloé said, looking at her with a smile that seemed borderline predatory. “I thought your hair would've been black.”

And before anything could be said in return to that, an employee came and politely asked them to return to their seats. Chloé smiled, watching them leave and waved by moving her fingers only.

Marinette wasn't sure what her expression was in return.

It was enough for Luka to ask her, “Are you okay?”

“I—I'm fine,” she stuttered out, feeling anything but. “Overwhelmed, I think.”

Kagami was the one to touch her shoulder to prevent her from stumbling into the door.

She couldn't concentrate on the show.

The lights on the stage were either on or off; there were no fancy spotlights, no fog machine when it was a dramatic scene, though the live band that was visible made it impressive compared to what she'd imagined it could be.

She continued to overestimate how underdeveloped everything would be without properly factoring in what could be accomplished with, or without, magic.

The show was short enough that it didn't have an intermission.

Her bangs were sticking to her damp forehead.

“Mari,” Luka said, offering his hand to help her up from her seat when everyone else was already standing. “Are you ready?”

The words caught in her throat.

What could she _say_?

There was no way that she was ready for it. When Luka had proposed going to see his leader, it seemed like a good idea to agree to it. The offer of protection seemed sincere compared to the king's attempt at keeping her and her friends a secret until they could be his chance at winning the war.

The brief fight she'd seen between Luka and multiple of the king's men had shown that the humans were not a threat to them; that they could be defeated in a matter of moments without Luka having to get himself bloody in the process.

If the Demon King had wanted, all of the countries would've been overrun in no time.

Kagami reminded, “We can go somewhere else.”

“Where would we even go?” she muttered.

“Something is bothering you,” Luka remarked, stating the obvious. “Do not feel pressured to continue with this offer. I am fine to travel from normal means to make it to the north.”

She rubbed a hand over her face. “I don't—this is just really sudden. I'm...”

“Thinking?” a voice suggested.

Marinette stiffened.

“I wondered where you three were,” Chloé mused, making her presence known as she stood at the end of the aisle, looking as put together as she did before. “You're not going to run off without telling me again, are you, Luka?”

The other guests had filtered out and left the auditorium.

“No,” Luka responded obediently. “I don't think Mari is quite up to travel yet.”

“That's fine,” Chloé replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I can wait until she's prepared.”

That wasn't what she wanted to hear.

Kagami stayed quiet.

It seemed that when the demon in front of them wasn't Luka, Kagami didn't speak her mind. There was no threatening with her sword, though her stance was stiff.

“Adrien's worried about you,” Chloé said, meeting her gaze for a moment before looking at him. “You missed check-in three months ago. He wanted to send someone else into the castle at first.”

Luka scratched his cheek. “I'm sorry.”

“And you're talking differently,” she mused, leaning forward so her hair fell over her shoulder. “Time with a mage has been good for you, apparently. Adrien will be thrilled that you've loosened up.”

Marinette had no choice but to stand there awkwardly.

“Have you told him I'm here?” he asked.

“I haven't returned yet,” Chloé replied, straightening up and brushing her hair behind her. “I'm not letting you out of my sight again.”

Luka sighed. “Chloé—”

“You missed check-in,” Chloé repeated sternly. “You think I want that mark on my record? Follow my orders properly in the future or I'll kill you myself.”

Luka's laugh was forced. “Kill me? That is... extreme.”

“So is disobeying me,” Chloé said, narrowing her eyes. “Follow me, you three.”

-x-

It turned out that saying that she wasn't ready to travel meant staying within Chloé's sight for the foreseeable future. The majority of their belongings had been shrunk with Kagami's idea to separate them per bag depending on what they were when neither of them could remember which colours indicated which.

They were travelling light with her magic.

Chloé had been unimpressed when she'd demanded to know where their supplies were.

Marinette avoided her gaze as Luka proudly told her about the new magic that she'd made with her friends.

It was troubling that Kagami was so quiet.

She wasn't saying a word; her mannerisms were as blunt as ever, such as swiping items from Luka's hands and doing the task instead, but there was the missing charm of her pointed comments in her bored tone of voice.

Marinette had tried to talk to her quietly, but Kagami had shook her head, cutting her off.

She wasn't going to push her.

Rather than sit beside Luka, Marinette made at effort to be beside Kagami. Chloé dragged them to a restaurant in town—also powered by magic and cared for—and the majority of the conversation was between the two demons.

It was when it was evening that it became awkward.

Luka refused to leave them, while Chloé was against letting him out of sight again.

“I got told off because of you!” Chloé exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “Just—sleep in my fucking room. I'm not being demoted because I lost you again.”

And when that argument continued on until she started yawning, Marinette intervened by touching Luka's shoulder and standing on her toes to whisper, “It's okay, we won't go anywhere.”

He looked torn between believing her or not.

“Where would we even go?” she added on for good measure. “I barely know where I am, dude.”

The double bed in the room wouldn't fit more than two of them. Luka and Kagami wouldn't sleep at the same time, and Chloé was making it obvious that she wasn't leaving him. The result was Marinette stiffly in bed beside Kagami while the two demons were on the other side of the room, conversing quietly.

She couldn't sleep.

When she heard footsteps, she wasn't surprised when her arm was grasped. And by the time she'd opened her eyes, she was somewhere entirely different.

It wasn't her own doing that time.

“In my pyjamas?” she complained, looking down at her bare feet.

Chloé demanded, “Why is your hair that ridiculous colour?”

“It's cute,” Marinette defended, touching a strand from where it was straight and hanging down her back. “And it looks nice when I dress up.”

“Dress up,” Chloé repeated, raising her eyebrows.

“Obviously not now,” she muttered, her nervous heartbeat audible in her head. “Or, like, ever here. I haven't been given any make-up.”

“Tell Luka to buy you some,” Chloé said, tilting her head with a frown. “How old are you?”

Her smile was shaky. “Twenty!”

“Twenty,” Chloé repeated, taking a step forward and hovering her hand on top of Marinette's head before moving it to her chest, comparing their heights. “Are you sure?”

And instead of answering that, Marinette inspected the room. The walls were a mixture of wooden panels at the bottom and a nice-looking wallpaper, the floor the same type of wood, and the furniture appeared to be high-quality. The bed was better than where they'd been staying.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“My room.”

“Oh.” Her breath caught in her throat. “Why am I here first?”

Chloé shrugged. “I can only take one at a time.”

“...And you're getting the others when?” she questioned.

“Soon,” was the response to that. “Luka knows the plan. I need to recharge first, anyway.”

She didn't know enough about teleportation magic to argue with that. Marinette awkwardly stayed on the spot, feet feeling cold from the wooden floor, before Chloé scowled and gestured for her to sit down on a plush armchair.

It was soft.

Chloé looked at her strangely. “Are you not scared?”

She made a peace sign. “Luka promised to get me resurrected.”

Chloé crossed her arms. “What else has he told you?”

“A few things,” she vaguely replied.

Chloé stared.

It wasn't as intimidating as Kagami's had been.

Marinette shifted in her seat, getting comfortable and putting her feet under her to try and warm up. She hadn't been able to grab her cloak when she'd been abducted from bed.

“I thought you were going to wait until I'm ready,” she mused, resting her elbow on the arm and her cheek in her palm. “Because this is kidnapping. I've experienced it before, you know. I'm a veteran at it by now.”

Chloé narrowed her eyes. “Mari, was it?”

“That's me, Mari,” she confirmed.

“You look familiar.”

“That's racist,” she blurted.

Chloé blinked. “What?”

“A lot of people look alike!” she exclaimed, perhaps a tad too loud when her voice echoed in the room. “It's offensive to assume I'm another person.”

That response made Chloé snort. “All right, calm the fuck down. If you start shouting, someone will come and see what's going on.”

“...I know you said this is your room, but where is that?” she questioned, unable to peer out of the windows when it was dark outside. “Are we all the way up north?”

“You'll meet our leader tomorrow,” was the only answer to that.

Marinette shivered. “And Kagami will be here?”

“She'll be allowed with you, yes,” Chloé confirmed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “For now, I'm going to ask you some questions.”

“Right, an interview,” she mused, putting her hands under her thighs. “If I pass, will I be allowed to stay here? Or what? What's the incentive for me to _not_ lie?”

Chloé's smile showed her teeth. “Keeping your head?”

“I'm pretty good at shields,” she boasted.

“Want to find out?”

“Maybe another time,” she remarked. “I don't even have shoes. How do you expect that to be a fair fight?”

Chloé rolled her eyes. “You left your precious balls behind.”

“Balls that you _can't_ make,” she smugly pointed out. “How does it feel to be inferior to a human? I bet you regret being racist to me now.”

“I was never racist to you, you brat,” Chloé retorted. “And don't think I'll hold back from hitting you forever. You're annoying already.”

“Oh, I am?” she asked. “That's good to know.”

Chloé clicked her tongue. “Tell me more about your power.”

“I thought you were asking questions, not demands,” she quipped.

“You're awfully comfortable for a prisoner,” came Chloé's clipped response.

Marinette smiled. “My confidence has soared since I realised I can kill people in an instant.”

“I can make shields like you,” Chloé pointed out.

She tilted her head. “Yeah, but can that block death?”

“You are the one with necromancy, then,” Chloé said, looking awfully smug as she brushed her hair over her shoulder. “Has Luka been helping you?”

She pursed her lips.

“I'm the second-in-command here.”

“Yeah, I need some evidence before I believe that,” Marinette replied, fiddling with the hairband around her wrist. “For all I know, you could be a fraud.”

Chloé raised her eyebrows. “You trust Luka.”

“Luka earned it,” she countered. “I don't even know you.”

“We were introduced some hours ago,” Chloé answered, placing a hand over her heart with a wide smile. “I'm your trusted friend's superior. Isn't that enough?”

She shook her head. “Nope.”

“Well,” Chloé started, standing up and smoothing out her clothes. “In that case, I'll leave you to rot in here until tomorrow.”

She waved.

Chloé looked pissed off at her lack of reaction, stomping out and slamming the door shut.

Marinette didn't try and open it.

-x-

Kagami was at her side when she woke up.

“When did you get here?” she questioned, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to be more alert.

“An hour or so,” Kagami answered. “I have been told breakfast will be served with their leader.”

“Shit,” she muttered, turning her head and pressing it into the pillow. “I'm going to suffocate myself. Bye.”

Kagami reached out and gripped her hair, pulling her back. “I will die without you.”

“Bit too soon to announce your undying love for me, but okay,” she quipped, wincing at the sudden pain in her scalp. And as she sat up, the duvet pooling by her lap, Marinette was reminded again that she'd been abducted in her pyjamas. “I'll be your shield or whatever.”

The response to that was, “I can't protect you if I am dead.”

“Well, yeah,” Marinette agreed. “But it's weird seeing you so quiet.”

“It is wise to appear meek at first,” Kagami replied. “Luka has assured our safety, so there is no need to impress them.”

“That doesn't help my sweaty palms, but okay,” she said.

“There is a bathroom.”

“Sweet!” she cheered, hopping to her feet. “You joining me or nah?”

Kagami shook her head. “I bathed before coming here.”

Marinette saluted. “Guard my naked body well.”

“You have no modesty to hide,” Kagami said with a sigh.

She pretended to shoot her and winked. “You're the only one that's allowed to see that.”

“Luka has.”

“Luka thought I died because I stubbed my toe in the stream,” she pointed out. “And he's denying that ever happened, so you're clearly imagining it.”

Kagami rolled her eyes.

It was much better than when she was quiet.

After, Marinette made the decision to wear the dress that Luka had gotten her. She tied one of the ribbons around her high ponytail, a nervous feeling in her stomach becoming more apparent as the sun started to shine through the window.

Looking outside proved that they weren't in a castle; rather, it was a large home that was surrounded by a forest, snow covering the plants and road that led downhill into what appeared to be a dense town. It wasn't the view from afar like back at the castle, where everything had been out of reach and unable to be seen.

It was cold, though.

She happily put her boots and cloak on, feeling more put together when fully dressed.

Kagami reminded her, “We can leave.”

“And march out there in the snow?” she questioned, gesturing to the window. “If it comes to it, I'm sure Luka can get Chloé to teleport us—or I can do it and see where the fuck we land.”

Kagami breathed out loudly. “Let's not do that.”

“Spoilsport,” she muttered.

The knock on the door was Luka.

He put his hands on her shoulders and said, “You don't have to do this.”

She almost laughed. “You two really think that I want to be anywhere but here, don't you?”

“You look like you're going to vomit,” he replied.

“I might,” she agreed, patting her stomach. “Unless you give me something good to eat. You can vouch for the food, right? Because I forgot to stock up our food supplies yesterday.”

“The food is good,” Luka confirmed.

She clenched a fist in victory.

Kagami scolded, “Don't think with your stomach.”

“I'll focus on the food instead of my breakdown, okay,” she replied, checking her ponytail was okay. “Time to march me to my death, right?”

Luka snorted. “You're not dying.”

“I'll leave that up to you,” she told him, patting his shoulder.

And as Luka led them through a hallway and down the stairs, she didn't see anyone else. The walls didn't have portraits, the woodwork of the banister had subtle patterns, and everything seemed to be in good condition.

Although she thought it lacked the personal touches, Nathaniel's painting of his rabbit had been the only one she'd seen in the castle.

She wondered whether he'd made any more.

And the fact that it had been over three months since she'd seen her friends made her mood sour. She wondered what they'd been told about her disappearance—and whether the princess had felt guilty that it had been partially her fault.

Marinette was reminded that no one had informed her that she'd be mistaken for a demon.

“This isn't all that grand,” she remarked.

“It's a home,” Luka replied, a bit amused. “Not a base of royalty that requires servants.”

She questioned, “No? You telling me Mister Demon King goes around cleaning all the cobwebs?”

Luka laughed. “Of course not. He hires people to do it for him.”

They stopped before two large doors with handles in the middle. The design on the wood was intricate, matching the banister of the stairs that they'd walked down, and there seemed to be a running theme throughout the home.

“Who will be in there?” Kagami asked.

Luka ran a hand through his hair. “It should be... him and Chloé.”

“Right,” Marinette murmured, fiddling with her cloak. “I—yes. Okay. I should thank her for letting me use her bedroom anyway.”

“Last chance to run,” Luka reminded her.

“I'm fine,” she told him.

He didn't look convinced.

A voice told them to come in after Luka knocked twice.

Marinette was the last to enter the room.

Her palms felt sweaty.

It wasn't the grand long table that she'd sat with her friends before; it had six seats on either side with no one at the head or end, adorned with mats, cutlery, and empty glasses spread out for each person.

For the three of them, there were four places to choose from. Chloé and her leader were sat on different sides, surely to separate them.

Marinette took her cloak off as she approached, placing it on the back of the chair before she sat down and turned to face the man.

He was deceivingly young-faced and dressed in simple clothing that wasn't covered in jewellery to indicate his status. There was nothing about him that screamed he was labelled as the most evil demon in the world.

“You don't have wrinkles,” was her greeting.

There was silence.

Then, he laughed.

Luka and Kagami hadn't sat down yet. Marinette didn't check over her shoulder to see if they were standing there and looking at her in disbelief from her behaviour.

The man's voice was quiet as he said, “It is you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥(￣▽￣*)ゞ


	17. 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari was forcefully teleported by chloé, interrogated about her powers, and then met the demon king with kagami and luka.
> 
> ding ding ding!!! congratulations to _bananarock509_ for being the only one to guess the plot twist!! i did enjoy reading everyone's attempts sdglkjdfhfj especially all the reincarnated lover theories. i do love me that trope but i thought that would've been a bit too cliché, so i went with this in the end. there's no fake-out adrien this time, he's the real deal and here to be... . ★｡ the love interest ｡★ .
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“What gave me away?” she asked.

“Your powers, for one,” he replied, reaching out and patting the top of her head. “You've grown up.”

It was a jarring greeting.

Marinette had approached him with false confidence, yet his didn't seem so forced.

For a moment, all she could do was stare at him. His hair had changed, the blond strands almost touching the top of his ears, and the gentle smile that he showed her had dimples appearing on his cheeks.

It was somewhat awkward as she leaned into his touch, feeling warm. “Well, yeah. It's been years, Adrien.”

Chloé that interrupted from across the table to demand, “What the fuck?”

Marinette's breath caught in her throat at that.

“Oh,” Adrien murmured, hand staying on top of her head as he looked between her and Chloé. “You didn't tell her?”

“I didn't tell anyone,” she mumbled. “And I—I didn't know if she knew or not.”

His hand trailed down to touch her chin, lifting her head up to inspect her face from different angles. “I might not have recognised you at first.”

“I—Adrien?” Luka interrupted, a stutter to his voice.

Adrien let his hand fall down to his side. “What is it?”

And as she'd predicted, Luka and Kagami were still standing there, wide-eyed and out of place. They'd never made it to the table.

Luka asked, “What is this?”

Marinette winced. “Well...”

“Sit,” Adrien said, gesturing to the other side of the table with Chloé. “Any friend of Rin's is welcome here.”

“Mari,” she interrupted. “Not Rin.”

His brow furrowed. “Mari?”

As much as she tried to ignore the stares, it was hard to when Kagami sat down beside her. Luka was across from her with Chloé at his side, within distance to nudge her with his foot under the table, staring expectantly.

It was Chloé that reacted first.

She slammed her hands down on the table, jumping to her feet. “ _You_ —”

And before Chloé could get another word out, she couldn't open her mouth.

Marinette's eyes widened. “Are you keeping her lips shut?”

“You've bruised her ego,” Adrien replied, not denying it.

“Adrien?” Luka questioned, looking terribly out of place as he glanced at Chloé's glowering face. “Do you... know each other?”

Marinette knew that Kagami was still staring at her.

Rather than answering that directly, Adrien asked her, “What do you want me to say?”

“It's okay,” she murmured, shifting in her seat before offering Kagami a small smile that wasn't returned. “I trust them.”

“I assumed so when you brought them here,” he remarked.

“To be fair, it was Chloé's doing,” she pointed out. “I was taking my time, that's all.”

He gave her a look that seemed almost fond. “Were you scared?”

Kagami spoke for the first time since entering the room. “What are you doing.”

It didn't quite sound like a question.

“It's cool,” Marinette assured her, clumsily reaching out and patting Adrien's shoulder. “This scary demon man isn't going to do anything to me, yeah? We're friends.”

“Friends?” Adrien questioned, amusement clear in his voice. “I was under the impression I was your babysitter.”

She tutted. “You've been upgraded to friend.”

“That was fast,” he mused. “You haven't even had food yet.”

There was almost a quiver to Kagami's voice. “Mari.”

“I—” Marinette cut herself off, awkwardly touching her hair before realising that Adrien had caused her ponytail to become sloppy. “I don't know how to say this.”

Luka sounded terribly confused as he asked, “Why is he calling you Rin?”

Chloé couldn't say a word with Adrien's magic on her, though her anger was clear on her face.

Marinette stared down at her lap instead of anywhere else. “About that...”

Adrien didn't help when he said, “That was the name she gave before.”

She shot him a betrayed look.

He shrugged.

“What?” Luka blurted.

It wasn't her best choice when she chose to stutter out, “The one that was—that was summoned before? It was me.”

More than anything, all she could see was Kagami's betrayed expression.

They didn't get to eat.

Kagami had stormed out without a word, not looking back even once before she'd left the room.

And as guilt churned uncomfortably in her stomach, Luka seemed torn on whether to follow Kagami out or not. The answer was given to him when Adrien said, “You two, leave us for now, will you?”

It wasn't really a request.

Chloé made sure to stomp her feet on the way out.

Marinette pointedly avoided looking at her.

It didn't feel right to sit there. She'd been too caught up in her feelings to really comprehend what it would mean to them; for Kagami to stand there and see her be so friendly to someone that she'd never mentioned in their time knowing each other.

Kagami had given up her previous life to be with her, and Marinette had guided her in without being truthful.

It was all because of her that Kagami was wanted for treason.

And suddenly, it was hard to breathe when all she could remember was the way Kagami had looked at her.

“Adrien, I—” Marinette started, cutting herself off to get to her feet. “I can't do this right now. I need to—I need to explain.”

He frowned. “Rin—”

That name that made her throat feel tight.

“Later,” she said, forgetting her cloak in favour of running through the door. She didn't pause to hear him reply, only focused on catching up with her friends.

Marinette followed the route that they'd taken before—up the wooden stairs, through the hallway before coming before a few doors. She peeked into the first before realising that it wasn't Chloé's.

There were hushed voices at the next that she could hear without opening it.

She knocked.

There was silence.

She took in a breath before turning the handle, a sense of relief flooding her as she saw Luka and Kagami standing beside each other, agitation clear from their body language.

They weren't fighting, at least. Kagami didn't have her hand on her sword.

She waved. “Hi.”

Kagami tutted.

“So...” Marinette shut the door behind her, hands behind her back as she leaned onto it. “I should probably... explain.”

Luka's voice cracked as he asked, “Probably?”

Her eyes felt dry. “Well, I—”

Kagami demanded, “Why?”

To avoid crying, she looked down, focusing on her boots. They were the brown pair that Luka had gotten her on their first day together.

“I didn't... I didn't want to be used again,” she whispered.

Kagami's voice sounded angry. “You didn't know anything.”

“No,” she agreed, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I wasn't—I couldn't go out much, before. I didn't know a lot, but I do know that it's... changed. Lyss-Ria used to be called something different, for one.”

“For someone that was around sixty years ago, you do not look old,” Luka chose to point out, sounding doubtful. “Is there—is there an explanation for that?”

“Time works differently,” she admitted. “I didn't—I didn't know for sure until I came back this time, but... for every ten years here, it's one for mine.”

Kagami said, “You said your age is twenty.”

“It is,” she confirmed, heart beating in her chest. “I was fourteen when—when I was summoned originally.”

Luka quietly stated, “That doesn't add up.”

“No,” Marinette agreed, vision becoming blurry as she blinked back tears. “Adrien, he—he took me in when I saw I was a kid. He managed to send me back to exactly when I left, so it was like I... never lost any time.”

There wasn't a stutter in Kagami's voice as she said, “You never tried to escape.”

It was unclear which time was being referred to.

“I was going to, eventually,” she replied, using her palm to wipe her eyes. “I was going to fake my death so no one would be stupid enough to think I've been kidnapped or something. I didn't want anyone to get hurt.”

“They never—” Luka made a frustrated noise. “I wasn't told anything. I never—I never even _suspected_.”

“It would've made you be weird around me, right?” Marinette's smile didn't reach her eyes as she gathered the courage to look up.

Kagami was resolutely staring at the wall, turning her head so her expression wasn't visible.

But Luka's was open, the furrow between his brow telling her all she needed to know.

She swallowed. “I'm sorry.”

Neither of them said anything.

“Kagami,” she said, her voice but a whisper. “I'm—I'm so sorry for getting you into this.”

There was no reply.

Luka wasn't looking at her any more.

-x-

It was astounding that Chloé hadn't barged in and demanded to talk to her yet.

Marinette had wandered into another room and locked the door, preferring to be alone for a while. Neither Luka or Kagami had tried to follow her, though she didn't have expectations of that.

It had never been the plan to bring Kagami along.

When there was a knock, Marinette was startled awake. Her back was stiff from falling asleep on the floor, and she almost tripped on her dress when she stood up and cracked it open to see who was there.

Seeing Adrien's smile felt like she'd been punched.

She couldn't avoid him forever, unfortunately.

“Come in,” she said, opening it wider for him.

With him standing, she was able to see he was roughly the same height as Luka.

“I think we've both grown,” she said, a nervous quiver to her voice as she put a hand over her head before touching where she came up to on his shoulder. “It was lower before, right?”

“Rin—” he started.

“Mari,” she corrected. “Marinette, if you're feeling fancy.”

He pursed his lips.

“I've never liked being called Rin since,” she admitted, tucking some stray strands behind her ear. “It—it brings back uncomfortable memories. I go by my full name now.”

He squinted. “You told them Mari.”

She shrugged. “I was paranoid. I thought I might get more attention if I had Rin it it.”

Gently, he put his hands on her shoulders. “Why didn't you come?”

She whispered, “I didn't know how to get here.”

“You knew what Luka was.”

“I knew he was a demon, not that he was directly under Chloé's order,” she lamely defended. “It's—”

He butted in, “I gave him my name for a reason.”

Marinette sighed. “Okay, I wanted to be responsible.”

“And how did that go for you?” he asked.

“Well, no need to get smart with me,” she muttered, taking a step back so his hands were no longer on her. “I didn't want to be some helpless kid again. I wanted to—to do stuff for myself, okay?”

Adrien tilted his head. “I can send you back.”

“So I can be summoned again when I'm in my thirties?” she retorted. “Yeah, that sounds fun. I already have trouble waking up in the morning anyway.”

“Rin—”

“ _Marinette_!” she exclaimed.

“Marinette,” he repeated, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender. “You know you can trust me.”

Seeing him again was making it really hit her; that she was back in the position that she'd been in before, but she wasn't as young and helpless.

Her voice was quiet. “I know.”

“I thought... I thought that maybe, it wasn't you,” he murmured, reaching out and touching her face. “It didn't make sense why you wouldn't come to me.”

She sighed. “It's been six years, Adrien.”

“More for me,” he murmured, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “You've grown up.”

“And so have you,” she replied, offering him a shaky smile. “We're not kids now. I'm not going to cry at every little thing this time.”

He smiled. “You did cry a lot.”

Her face felt warm at that. “Well, yeah. It was all scary.”

“What about me?” he questioned. “Am I big and scary?”

“I'm better at magic now,” Marinette replied, dodging the absurd question. “I could probably last against you for... maybe two seconds.”

He laughed.

“I'm able to do a lot of things I couldn't before,” she insisted. “Even if you forgot to tell me that I can reanimate the dead.”

And with that, Adrien froze.

Her smile grew. “You know, this funny thing happened—”

“I didn't want to scare you,” he blurted.

Marinette snorted. “I think I had a heart attack when I revived Luka, but okay.”

“ _Luka_?”

She winced. “About that—”

-x-

As it turned out, Adrien had used his shield to block anyone from entering his home. Chloé had been forcefully removed and kept out—unable to teleport in—and it was the four of them left inside in different rooms.

It was an understatement to say that it was awkward.

Kagami wouldn't talk to her.

And while Luka would a little, he wasn't looking in her eyes and was careful with his words. He ran at the sight of Adrien, not wanting to be in the same room with him while Marinette was present.

She slumped against the counter with a sigh.

“I'm waiting,” Adrien said, tapping his fingernails audibly. “You're the one that's slow this time.”

The strangest part of it all was that Adrien was trying to act like he had before. He was the one to cook meals, taking her into the kitchen with him to get her to chop vegetables and observe as she used to do, but it felt foreign to her.

It was too forced.

And yet, Adrien was acting casual, talking to her about trivial topics that interested him instead of the glaring issues at hand.

He shot her down when she'd tried to ask about the king.

“So, is he like the previous one or—”

“He's a distant relative, so no,” Adrien replied, tapping a spoon against the side of the pot to prevent drips before holding it out to her. “How does this taste?”

“He—”

Adrien shoved the spoon in her mouth.

She'd glared.

And when he didn't have anything to shut her up with, he changed the topic immediately without humouring her.

While Luka came down to eat, fumbling with his words when she was around, Kagami wasn't coming out of her room. Marinette stubbornly knocked on the door and waited to see if she'd get an answer, leaving a tray of food outside, and the only sign of life from inside were the empty plates that she collected later on in the day.

She couldn't begin to imagine how betrayed Kagami must've felt, but it was still irritating to be ignored so much.

It was as annoying as being babied.

When Adrien recommended her a book from his library, she felt nothing but fury at the fairytale that was provided.

It was one of the same ones she'd been given at the castle.

She voice cracked as she said, “I'm not a child.”

Adrien was perplexed.

With a frown, he replied, “I know that.”

“Do you?” she questioned, finding the courage not to avert her eyes. “Because you're treating me like you used to.”

He blinked. “Is that a problem?”

She sighed.

Adrien asked, “Am I... doing something wrong?”

“I didn't expect you to welcome me back with open arms like this!” she exclaimed, a bit too loudly. “I mean, I thought you'd remember me a bit—but you're acting like nothing has happened!”

Even his smile looked confused. “Of course I remember you.”

“Adrien,” she started slowly. “Do you actually? Because I don't think you can remember every little thing from that many years ago.”

He bluntly told her, “I wrote about you in my diary.”

She stared.

“I wrote down everything about you whenever you went to bed,” he informed her, a bit shy as he ran a hand through his hair before touching his neck. “What you liked to eat, which books you liked, and what magic you had trouble with—everything. I've gone back and read it over the years because I like remembering our time together.”

Well, that explained why he was trying to go back to how it was.

Still, she had to ask, “Why?”

“Why?” he echoed.

“Why write it?” she questioned, a furrow to her brow. “That's—well, it's a bit weird.”

“It was for a reason,” he assured her.

She demanded, “Tell me.”

“Where have your manners gone?” Adrien questioned, reaching out and cupping her cheek. “You used to be so polite.”

She batted his hand away. “Please, sir.”

He laughed. “Is that you sucking up to me?”

“It's all you're getting.”

“Fine, fine,” he said, shaking his head fondly as his hand fell back down to his side. “I did it so if something ever happened to me, someone would know how to take care of you.”

As sweet as that was, Marinette's first response was, “I'm not a _dog_.”

“You're not,” Adrien agreed. “But I wanted to make sure that you'd have your favourite meal while crying over me.”

She snorted. “Bit bold to assume I'd cry over you, isn't it?”

“You hated it whenever I left,” he pointed out.

“That's because you're strong!” she exclaimed. “I was a traumatised kid! I wasn't going to let someone who can kick anyone's ass out of my sight. I'd be a sitting duck.”

He hummed. “I'm sure that's it.”

“It is,” she insisted, face feeling hot.

“I'm sorry this isn't the home from before,” he offered, a small smile on his lips. “I know you liked your room. I never... I didn't think you'd be back, so I never had it replicated.”

Marinette shook her head. “It's fine.”

“And I know you hate the cold,” he said.

“Why the fuck are you up in the snowy mountains?” she complained, jabbing a finger towards the window where she could only see white. “You're a big scary demon! Set up camp where it's _warm_.”

“Humans rarely venture out this far,” he pointed out. “It was Chloé's ideas to stay here.”

“Yeah, because she can teleport away in an instant and go sunbathe somewhere,” she muttered. “While you're stuck here with wet socks because it's either snowing or raining everyday.”

He grinned. “You don't know the weather yet.”

“I can guess,” she grumbled. “How long are you keeping Chloé out?”

“Until you want to talk to her,” was his immediate response. “She would throw a fit and demand to know everything. I'm not putting you through that already.”

Marinette touched her head. “Does the hair really make me look that different?”

“A bit,” he agreed. “Your face is a lot more... mature.”

She tutted. “You can say it, my cheeks aren't fat any more.”

“They were never fat,” he denied, sounding amused. “You looked... young. And you still do, in a different way.”

Marinette snorted. “Thank you, that makes me feel really good about myself.”

“You grew up well,” he told her.

She averted her eyes. “Of course I did.”

“What was it like?” he asked quietly. “Were your parents—were they happy to see you?”

“So happy,” she replied wistfully, smile reaching her eyes. “They thought something was wrong with me at first. It took me months to convince them that I was okay.”

His words were utterly sincere. “I'm glad you got to see them again.”

“Thank you,” she said, meaning every word. “Without you, I would've been miserable. I don't know how you became this big bad guy, but you're... I honestly think you're wonderful, Adrien. I'm sure that hasn't changed.”

“Anyone would've done what I did if they could,” he shyly told her, smoothing out his shirt. “You were just a kid. It's only natural that I wanted to protect you.”

“Were?” she asked.

He didn't look away. “Yes.”

“More than my appearance has changed,” she informed him softly. “I like different foods and I have new hobbies. I'm... not the same.”

He cleared his throat. “Maybe not.”

“Will you get to know me?” she requested. “For me, not for... Rin.”

His brow furrowed. “You're not a whole new person.”

“I want to be,” she pointed out. “Who I was before—I'm, like, idolised here? That's _bizarre_! I could barely cast any spells and cried all of the time. Why am I being remembered as a great hero?”

“Because you didn't run away from me,” he helpfully told her.

She scowled. “You looked like a normal teenager. How was I supposed to know you were the big scary demon?”

“Tell me about Marinette, then,” he proposed, reaching out and holding a strand of her pink hair. “Do you still cry a lot?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥(☆^ー^☆)


	18. 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** mari revealed she's the previous hero, kagami refused to talk to anyone, chloé got evicted, and adrien treated mari like a child.
> 
> i almost forgot what day it is;;;; friday means it's isekai time, my guys. i apologise in advance for this chapter not having adrien in it, but i promise that it's for a reason!! kagami and luka aren't going to be shoved to the side now that he's here. hopefully the little bit of backstory that's in this one will explain more of how mari and luka view adrien. 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“Luka,” Marinette started, putting her hands on her hips. “I'm the authority in this house now, so you must listen to me.”

He didn't hesitate. “No.”

“I have control,” she insisted.

“Adrien told me not to listen to you,” he countered.

“I don't believe that one bit,” she proclaimed, haughtily raising her chin. “He won't be happy to hear that you've been mean to me.”

“That's not going to work,” Luka informed her, raising his eyebrows and giving her an unimpressed look. “I've been told to look after you, not be ordered around.”

She threw her hands up. “Unfair!”

“I am trusted for a reason,” he stated proudly.

She muttered, “To babysit me.”

“The shield is back up so you can't leave,” he helpfully said. “It's going to be us for a while.”

After four days of being there, Adrien had other responsibilities. She'd been used to him disappearing for some periods of time in the past, but there was something different about it when she knew what was happening out in the world.

She wasn't as ignorant as before.

Luka seemed more comfortable when Adrien wasn't watching them.

“So,” he started.

“So,” she repeated.

Luka scratched his cheek. “Rin?”

She pulled a face. “No, thanks.”

“That is not a good response,” he rejected. “Are you—why did you go by that name?”

“I had a phase where I thought it would be cool to have a new name,” she admitted, a bit embarrassed. “I was a kid, okay! And I was taught to never give out my actual name to someone I don't know. Stranger danger is very real.”

He sounded amused. “Right.”

“My parents taught me never to accept candy from strangers, but not what to do if I wake up in another fucking world,” Marinette muttered. “I can't _believe_ it happened again!”

“It really didn't seem like you'd been here before,” Luka pointed out. “Your questions seemed... genuine.”

“Was my last answer not good enough?” she asked, smiling. “I saw more of the world with you then I did before.”

He was dubious. “Really?”

“I was a kid,” she reminded him. “Fourteen's a bit old, I guess, but I was awkward and my parents had only just trusted me to walk home alone from school. I wasn't responsible enough yet to handle magical powers or have the lives of a whole nation relying on me.”

Luka confessed in a whisper, “I've seen a picture of you.”

She turned her head quick enough to cause her hair to move. “What?”

“A drawing,” he explained. “From Adrien's journal; granted, it wasn't a very good one.”

She blinked. “You've seen the journal?”

“He used it to boast that he'd dealt with an unruly teenager before when he took me in,” he said with a laugh. “Now I see why he kept feeding me the same dishes in the beginning. They were all the ones you liked.”

“I—what?” she blurted. “You've been here a lot?”

Luka bashfully told her, “Adrien's kind of guardian? He let me stay with him when my parents died because of my aptitude for magic.”

It explained why he'd been trusted with such an important mission as infiltrating the castle, then. Luka couldn't have been the only demon that would shift into an unassuming animal.

Marinette exclaimed, “You said he was your boss!”

“Technically, he is,” he mused. “I work under Chloé.”

She clenched a fist. “I will never forgive you for this.”

“Are you... worried about meeting her?” he questioned, fiddling with a strand of his hair. It had gotten long, flicking out at the ends where they brushed his eyebrows. “I know you knew her... before.”

“A bit, I guess,” she replied, not quite able to put how she felt into words. “Chloé was... well, a bit unsuitable to be around me.”

He snorted. “She's not good with kids.”

Marinette snapped her fingers. “Exactly!”

“She wasn't allowed around me when I was younger,” Luka confessed. “Because she got too violent.”

“Oh, tell me about it,” she lamented, grimacing. “She used to see how many shields I could cast before I wore myself out. Adrien would get so _mad_.”

He shuddered.

She felt the same. “Did you suffer like me?”

“Sometimes,” he mused. “I think Adrien learned from putting her with you, though. It was only when no one else could look after me that she was chosen.”

“Lucky,” Marinette muttered.

Luka patted her head.

It was the closest he'd been to her since they'd arrived. There hadn't been any hugs, no leaning against him as she complained, and Luka had always put a chair between them when sitting down at the table with Adrien present. It had been as though he was worried about showing how close they were.

She leaned into his touch, welcoming it.

“I missed you,” she murmured.

His hand paused.

Then, he ruffled her hair.

Her smile grew.

-x-

Kagami had given herself a haircut.

It was as botched as all the others, carelessly done so the strands wouldn't get into her eyes. She didn't care about appearances, though the blunt cut combined with the scowling expression wasn't doing her facial features any favours.

Marinette much preferred her when she was blank.

She was out of the room, at least.

It had taken Luka backing her up and assuring her that it was only the three of them in the home. His words were only believed when he told Kagami about the shield that was protecting the house, demonstrating it by throwing a stone that didn't make it a few metres outside of the front door.

Unlike her own shield that disappeared after absorbing one hit, Adrien's was still active.

She wanted him to teach her that.

Kagami was being childish and ignoring her most of the time.

It was almost payback for back in the beginning where Marinette hadn't cared to know her name for weeks on end until she'd gotten bored.

“Okay, I was a dick,” she dramatically said, placing Kagami's meal in front of her. “But would you have believed me? _No_!”

When Kagami picked up her cutlery, Marinette yanked the plate back out of her reach, making it clear that she wasn't going to let her eat yet.

Luka was happily eating his own meal, letting them bicker.

“I had my reasons,” she insisted. “They weren't good ones, sure, but please talk to me! You're my best friend here!”

Kagami glared at her. “Is that not him?”

“What?” Marinette clumsily pointed in Luka's direction. “Him?”

Kagami stared.

She squinted back. “Adrien?”

Kagami nodded her head ever-so-slightly.

“No way, dude.” Marinette pulled a face. “He's like a brother! I think. It's not like I've ever had a sibling to compare him to. He was... two years older than me back then? Something like that. I wasn't going to think of him as a parent.”

She allowed it when Kagami took her plate back.

Marinette climbed onto the table instead, sitting in front of her and crossing her legs, staring.

Kagami sighed. “What.”

“You are my friend,” she repeated. “My best one. The bestest.”

“Bestest is not a word.”

“Words cannot describe how much I like you,” she said, placing a hand over her heart. “Therefore, I had to make one up.”

Kagami started to eat.

“I pretty much fucked up your life,” she blurted, getting straight to the point. “And I'm going to make sure you're, like, compensated or something. I'm sure there's a job you can do somewhere.”

She was ignored.

“It might not be as... physical as your last position, but there has to be something,” she mused.

Luka chimed in, “There's always positions in the new towns we take. Humans tend to trust their kind more, even if they're appointed there by demons to be a lookout.”

Kagami resolutely said, “I am not going anywhere.”

“Someday, you might,” Marinette pointed out. “And I'll make sure it's not somewhere shit, okay? Or I can march back to the king and demand that he take you back, if that's what you want.”

Kagami gave her a blank look. “We would be killed on the spot.”

“And Adrien would bring us back,” she said without hesitation. “An endless cycle of stubbornness.”

“Your plans are terrible,” Kagami replied.

“Terribly good,” Marinette corrected. “I don't see you planning out your future.”

“I am staying with you.”

Luka asked, “How are you going to do that locked in your room?”

Kagami threw her knife at him.

And instead of ducking to dodge it, Luka used his magic to stop it mid-air before returning it to Kagami's hand gently.

Kagami glared at him.

He smiled back.

Before, he'd always avoided using magic around Kagami that wasn't for a practical purpose. He'd taken her hits, hadn't tried to defend himself, and had never did so much as levitate an item to her before.

“How long have you lived here?” Marinette asked.

“Adrien's been here for a decade, if that's what you're asking,” he replied.

She scowled. “I was asking about you.”

“I'm onto you now,” he mused. “I can read between the lines.”

“Wrong,” she accused. “I'm interested in you, not your dad.”

He pulled a face. “He is not my father.”

“Guardian, whatever.” Marinette shrugged. “If we're not allowed out, what can we do? I'm already getting bored.”

“Adrien has a large stash of healing potions, if you want to practice fighting again,” he offered. “Or we can find some recipe books and try out some new potions for you.”

She blinked. “Really?”

“As long as you say you it was your idea.” Luka winked. “I was told to watch and not let you do anything dangerous.”

It was with those words that she decided, “Kagami, want to spar with me?”

Kagami raised her eyebrows in question, chewing.

“It's been _ages_!” she complained. “We're alone and we have an endless amount of healing potions to use. There's no reason for you to say no.”

Kagami didn't say anything.

She offered, “You can take your frustrations out on me by breaking my nose.”

Then, Kagami nodded.

“Yes!” Marinette raised her fist in victory.

-x-

After seeing how they'd fight back at the castle, Luka set some rules.

Kagami looked at him in exasperation.

The outcome of the fights didn't change at all. It had been months since their last spar, and while Marinette had never been particularly talented at it, she thought she was even worse than before when she fell awkwardly onto the floor and refused to get up for a while.

Kagami nudged her with her foot.

“I'm rethinking my life decisions,” she dramatically replied.

Luka came over and patted her head. “Do you want some tips?”

“You?” she questioned, squinting up at him. “Can you even fight with your hands? You can kill anyone in, like, a second.”

He smiled. “Chloé taught me a few for theatre.”

“...What.”

Without magic, Luka was as unimpressive as she was at fighting.

Marinette cheered when he hit the ground.

He was competitive, it turned out. While the two of them continued to spar, with Kagami's smugness growing with every victory her way, Marinette had fetched as many vials of health potions as she could in her arms, slowly condensing them into pills on the sideline.

Adrien hadn't asked about that yet.

She had no idea if he knew how to do it or not. Though, she supposed it was an idea that she'd taken from her world that her friends had understood and latched onto immediately, trying to do the same after she'd demonstrated.

Thinking about that made her stomach twist uncomfortably.

“Luka,” she started, getting his attention from where he was wiping blood from his mouth. “Can I ask you something?”

He'd stated that they wouldn't use a potion unless there was a sprain or another type of injury that would get in the way. It would be a waste to only heal a cut or two.

Kagami's hand was bleeding from where she'd punched him.

“What is it?” he questioned, cringing when he saw the blood smeared on the back of his hand.

“About—about the others that I was summoned with,” she said, finding it hard to find the right words. The guilt that had suddenly appeared made her feel nauseated. “What happened the ones that got banished? They never told us anything, before.”

“I... do not know.”

“Right,” she murmured, shoulders slumping.

It made sense, though. Luka had investigated to see the ones that could be mages. Her other class-mates had been escorted out before he'd even appeared; banished and sent away so they wouldn't get in the way.

She wondered how they were over a year later.

It was Kagami walking over to her that had her lifting her head up.

“Come,” Kagami said, holding her hand out.

Marinette's eyes lit up, quickly taking the offered hand before she could retract it. She jumped to her feet, smiling widely.

There was nothing happy about Kagami's expression, but she was making eye contact. That was an improvement from refusing to look her way, let alone locking the door so no one could talk to her face-to-face.

With that, Kagami walked over to Luka, waiting until Marinette wandered closer to say, “Stand in front of him.”

Marinette obediently did as she was told, smiling.

Luka raised his eyebrows.

Kagami announced, “I will teach you to throw him.”

It was an interesting afternoon, to say the least. All that mattered was that Kagami looked happy.

Their food was limited like when they were on the road. Adrien's kitchen was fully stocked with spices that she hadn't seen available in the towns they'd gone to, and she was more than happy when Luka said that he had some experience with knowing how to use them.

Kagami was still against sweet foods.

So much so that when Marinette tried to put sugar into the blend of spices to put on the food, she protested.

“You enjoyed your cake!” she defended, dodging Kagami's hand to throw the sugar in the bowl. “Stop complaining. You should be grateful that I like you enough to cook for you.”

Kagami managed to keep a straight face as she said, “You like me the bestest.”

Luka laughed loudly.

If she could ignore the roof over her head, it was almost like they were travelling again. The tense atmosphere had disappeared, Luka had loosened up, and Kagami was _talking_.

She knew that it would become awkward when Adrien came back.

It had been over a week since he'd disappeared.

“Where did he go?” Marinette asked, finally approaching the topic.

“To check on something,” was Luka's vague response.

“You don't have to be careful around me,” Kagami told him. “I have no one to tell.”

“That's not it.” He shook his head. “I don't really... know. He didn't tell me much.”

“Well, what did he say?” Marinette persisted.

“That he would return soon.”

“So, he's giving us space,” she concluded, clearly satisfied with her conclusion. “And running away at the same time. That sounds about right.”

Luka blinked. “What?”

“If he wanted, he could've had Chloé teleport him back here every night,” she pointed out. “That's what he used to do, even if he had business far away. He never liked leaving me alone for long, and he didn't trust Chloé to supervise me overnight.”

“Oh,” Luka murmured. “I guess he is staying away, then.”

Marinette stretched her arms over her head. “None of the rooms are locked, right?”

“Why?” he questioned.

“I want to find this damn diary about me,” she proclaimed with a smile. “I need to see how his drawing of me matches up.”

He snorted. “It does not.”

Kagami said, “I will search.”

And before Luka could give her any details of that, she was walking upstairs and going into the first room, opening up the drawers.

Luka complained, “That's my room—”

Kagami stared at him while opening up another drawer.

Marinette turned towards him and asked, “Don't you have experience with searching? You did come to that town and find us.”

“It is part of the job,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “The only reason I knew it was you was because of the smell of your magic.”

“Oh, yeah?” Marinette placed her hand under her chin, batting her eyelashes. “Is it nice?”

He snorted. “I am not complimenting you.”

“I deserve it!”

Kagami threw Luka's clothes on the floor without looking at them.

“I think she's venting out her feelings,” Marinette revealed, watching in amusement as more and more of the floor became covered in items. “Are you not going to stop her? She'll find your diary soon.”

“I do not have one,” he said.

“Adrien didn't teach you that?” she asked.

“He is a bad teacher, clearly,” he joked.

Marinette grinned. “Were you restricted with what you could learn, too?”

“Not much as you, apparently,” he replied.

“The very little I knew has changed already, okay,” she defended, crossing her arms. “Like, who changes a country name because they've become king? That's _insane_! I can't believe that they just allowed him to do that.”

“You barely knew anything,” he pointed out.

Marinette pouted. “I didn't want to.”

“No?” Luka prodded. “That seems counterproductive.”

“I was a kid that hated studying,” she muttered. “I was overwhelmed and didn't know what the hell I was doing. When I was shoved in front of Adrien, I thought I was going to die.”

He asked, “How did you meet him?”

“Not in some glorious battle like it's depicted as,” Marinette informed him with a sigh. “It was a... meeting? I think. I wasn't warned that he'd be there.”

“A meeting with the king?” he enquired, curious.

“Yeah, he was more chill than this one or whatever,” she said. “Not like I can really compare them when I know fuck all.”

He hummed. “History lies.”

“All the time,” Kagami chimed in, agreeing. Then, she lifted up a book and asked, “What is this?”

Luka made a surprised noise. “That's the journal!”

“Why is it in _your_ room?” Marinette demanded, marching across the room and settling down on the floor beside Kagami, taking the book into her own hands. The cover was leather as all the others, no engravings or words on the front to be a title. “Did you read about me in bed, Luka? That's creepy.”

“Adrien must have put it here,” he said, coming closer.

Marinette stretched her leg out and threatened, “I'll kick you.”

He blinked. “What?”

“You've read it before, it's our turn,” she said, narrowing our eyes. “It's girl time.”

“Girl... time,” he repeated, dubious.

She used her magic to ruffle his hair.

“Stop,” he complained, trying to flatten it. “I won't try and read it, then.”

She sniffed. “Good.”

And with that, Luka decided to make himself useful by going to make dinner for them instead. It left the two of them in his bedroom, sat on the floor with the book resting on Marinette's page as she opened it, staring at the first page for longer than necessary when it had barely any handwriting on it.

It took a while to sink in that it was about her.

Adrien had added crude drawings onto the page; random ones that were either food that he mentioned, the clothes that she'd been given, or anything that she'd said she'd liked that day. It was meticulous with the dates labelled for every entry, describing everything about her.

There was nothing about how he felt.

Everything was dedicated to her instead, reading more as an observational journal than being about him.

The pictures of her were horrendous.

Her hair had been short, coming down to her chin back then, and his drawings didn't do the cut justice. If anything, it looked even worse than her school picture that she'd begged her parents to take down in the house.

“It looks better than yours,” Marinette muttered, tracing her finger over the drawing.

Kagami asked, “Did you cut yours?”

She laughed. “Myself? No way, dude.”

“You have no excuse,” Kagami concluded. “You look terrible.”

“The drawing is terrible, not me!” she exclaimed, offended. “I was really cute, okay.”

“You look wide.”

“Are you calling me fat?” she accused. “Because I wasn't! It's perfectly normal to have baby fat, okay. It's completely different. My plump cheeks were a sign of being young and loved.”

Kagami repeated, “Fat.”

She shoved her. “I will not be shamed!”

Kagami kicked her in the stomach.

“I have no fat to absorb your attacks,” she complained, clutching her middle. “I'm fragile and beautiful now, be gentle.”

“You have healing pills.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥( ´ ▽ ` )


	19. 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** adrien left the trio home alone, mari made up with her friends, kagami kicked luka's ass without magic, and adrien's diary was read.
> 
> it's very important for you guys to know that twenty-three chapters in, i realised i never named the capital city in the beginning............ i cannot believe it??????? how stupid can i be????????????????? that'll be retconned soon, so if you see it suddenly being referred to with an actual name, let's roll with it. i need to fix my mistakes. (╥_╥)
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“And that's my plan,” Marinette concluded, putting her hands on her hips.

Adrien shook his head. “No.”

“What?” she exclaimed. “Why not? I thought it through.”

“You're not coming with me,” he rejected, his tone making it clear that he was serious. “If you want me to collect your friends, there's no reason for you to be there.”

“Hello? Do you even have a brain?” she asked, gesturing to her head. “They're not going to trust a random guy that appears and says he knows me. They're going to want proof.”

He shrugged. “I can take them by force.”

“Let's _not_ kidnap them,” she protested. “We've already been through that once! No, thank you. I can just—talk to them. It'll work.”

“You could get hurt.”

“I broke my nose this morning fighting with Kagami,” she pointed out. “But you haven't forbidden that.”

Adrien laughed. “Your friend's not a concern of mine.”

“So why is it different taking me to the capital?” she asked. “It's not like they're a match for you! And if there's the unlikely chance of me being stupid enough to die, you can just bring me back. I don't see why you're so against this.”

All he said in return was, “I'm not taking you with me.”

“Why?” she demanded.

“You are not ready,” he replied, the gentle smile not matching the situation. “I want to keep you safe.”

“Adrien,” she started, reaching out and taking one of his hands into both of hers, clasping it. “You're a fucking idiot.”

He blinked.

“I'm coming whether you like it or not,” Marinette said, utterly serious.

“And how are you going to do that?” he asked, tilting his head. “You can't leave.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I'll break your shield.”

“Will you?” he questioned. “No one else can. What makes you think that you'll be able to?”

That was a good point.

Her shoulders sagged, hands falling down to her side. “You're coddling me too much.”

He sounded amused. “Am I?”

“I want to do things!” Marinette exclaimed. “I want to see the outside and experience what I couldn't before! And to be the one by your side when we find my friends.”

“There haven't been any sightings of them,” he told her, reaching out and brushing her hair out of her face. “I checked the closest towns personally with Chloé. The king hasn't tried another stunt since the last time with you.”

“Scared that they'll disappear, too,” she muttered.

“Yes,” he agreed. “You did quite the number on them.”

Her face felt hot. “It was an accident.”

“It means you have the potential for teleportation magic, if you didn't mean to do it in the first place,” he pointed out, trailing his thumb across her cheek before he dropped his hand. “You could ask Chloé to tutor you.”

“You wouldn't trust her with that.”

“No,” he agreed with a laugh. “I want to see you happy, though.”

“Take with with you, then,” she suggested. “That's what would make me happiest.”

He didn't hesitate. “No.”

She threw her hands up. “Why!”

“I don't want you there,” Adrien stated. “You're staying here.”

“Because you think I'll get hurt,” she said.

He nodded. “I'm not taking that risk.”

“Then, teach me?” It came out sounding like a question. “If you think I'm not up to scratch, teach me properly—not just the things that you think aren't dangerous. I want to know it all this time.”

He pursed his lips.

“Please,” Marinette pleaded, going as far as to take a step forward and lessen the distance between them. “I want to actually have a life here.”

Adrien frowned. “You're going back with your friends.”

“Am I?” she asked. “Because I haven't said that.”

“Why wouldn't you?” he shot back, confusion clear in his expression. The furrow between his brow was the closest thing to a wrinkle on his face. “You wanted nothing more than to leave last time.”

“But now I know you can return me to the exact moment that I left,” she pointed out. “Why wouldn't I want to spend more time with you? To actually... be an adult here and experience another life?”

Adrien looked at her strangely. “Marinette.”

“I want to be good,” she said, tucking some stray hairs behind her ears. “I want to be useful to you.”

“You're fine the way you are,” he said.

She laughed. “You've been back one day and you're already saying that?”

“I don't want to see you hurt because of me,” he murmured, reaching out and taking her hand into his, holding it up to inspect her skin. “You're scarless for a reason.”

“Yeah, because health potions heal everything,” she responded. “I'm not a kid, remember? I refuse to be locked up again.”

He argued, “I _never—_ ”

“You protected me,” she interrupted, smile as soft as her voice. “But that doesn't mean you didn't hide me away. Everything I could do was restricted, and you only allowed a few trusted people to know of my existence. I'm not letting that happen again.”

Adrien opened his mouth to say something before he shut it, conflicted.

“Now I know I can be mistaken for a demon unless I say otherwise,” she pointed out. “I can live freely, right? It's not like my plan is to be far from you. Hell, if you're that worried, you can hire Luka to be my bodyguard or something.”

He was still frowning. “You've thought about this.”

“A bit,” she agreed. “And I'm not leaving Kagami behind. I dragged her into this.”

He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I won't let you come with me until I think you're ready.”

She beamed. “Really?”

“You're nowhere near where you need to be,” he told her.

It didn't squash her happiness.

“Thank you!” Marinette exclaimed, excitedly wrapping her arms around his chest to squeeze and give him a tight embrace. “You won't regret this, I swear!”

And with that, she darted off, running up the stairs to tell her friends the good news.

-x-

It was an understatement to say that Kagami didn't trust Adrien.

On the other hand, Adrien was thankful that Kagami had taken care of her for so long.

It led to a lot of awkward conversations between them.

Marinette liked to stay quiet beside Luka, watching them. He had the great idea to pass her drink to her so they could sip while the awkwardness increased.

“Kagami,” Adrien started, sounding utterly at ease from where he was sitting at the dining table. “If you'd like, I could enchant a better jewel for your sword.”

Kagami didn't hesitate to turn that down. “No.”

“It would be better in every way,” he pointed out. “Yours has dulled in effectiveness over the years. It's amazing that it's still working at all.”

Kagami wasn't looking at him, instead cutting into her food with more enthusiasm than was needed. “I am not interested.”

“It would help you,” he insisted.

“I want nothing from you.” And with that, Kagami chewed her food for longer than was necessary. When she noticed that Adrien was looking at her with a smile, she scowled. “Do not look at me.”

“Why not?” he asked. “It's natural for me to interact with a guest of mine.”

Kagami bluntly reminded him, “I am not here for you.”

“No,” he agreed. “But you protected something that I care for, so I'm in your debt.”

To Marinette's surprise, Kagami came to her defence. “She is not an object.”

Adrien had the same reaction. “I didn't mean it like that.”

“She is a person,” Kagami said, emphasising her words with the squeak of her knife against the plate.

“I know,” Adrien replied.

Kagami blankly asked, “Do you?”

Marinette decided to chime in, “Not that I'm not grateful that you care so much about me, but I'm feeling incredibly awkward here.”

Luka raised his hand. “Me, too.”

“Shut up, this isn't about you,” she retorted, jabbing him in the side with elbow.

He wheezed.

“Mari,” Kagami said, pointing her fork towards Adrien. “Tell him you want to go outside.”

She obediently stated, “I want to go outside.”

“You hate the snow,” Adrien reminded her.

“I want to hate it while standing in it,” she responded. “All I need are some actual winter clothes and I'll be fine, right?”

Luka volunteered, “I could go and buy them.”

“No,” Kagami rejected. “You'll end up buying a dress again.”

“I like that dress,” Marinette helpfully pointed out. “It's comfy and makes my boobs look great.”

Kagami scowled. “No one wants to hear about that.”

She crossed her arms, sulking.

No one said anything to that.

“What? Just talking about my boobs gets you all to shut up?” she demanded. “Grow up, it's completely normal. Kagami's got as much as me!”

Luka sounded strangled. “Mari, I do not want to think about your breasts.”

“Change the subject,” Adrien commanded.

She stubbornly raised her head up. “Make me.”

Then, to her horror, she found out that he'd done to her what had happened to Chloé in the past; her lips were held together and unable to be opened. She could make a noise, but not form any words without them working properly.

She glared at him instead.

He'd obviously forgotten how stubborn she could be.

Marinette stared as she started to unbutton her shirt.

Luka was the one to slap her hand away.

She looked at him in betrayal.

His face was red.

And yet, despite that disastrous meeting, Adrien gave her permission to go into the nearest town. The requirements was that she had to stay with Luka at all times, that she wouldn't try and start trouble while she was there, and that she'd take his money to spend without complaining.

She hugged him again.

Adrien was just as still and stiff as the last time.

Luka hadn't been the one to supply them clothes. When she'd woken up the next morning, a box was waiting outside her room that had multiple outfits inside; they were simple, the material thicker than what she'd been wearing before, and he included a soft cloak with the material heavy enough that a gust of wind wouldn't knock her hood off.

To her excitement, Kagami had been given the same one.

“Twins,” she proclaimed.

Kagami stated, “I'm older than you.”

“But not older than Luka,” she replied in a sing-song voice.

“Say that to me in a week,” Luka said, pulling her hood up and over her face so she spluttered. “You look cosy.”

“What do you mean in a week?” Marinette demanded, throwing the hood off and becoming aware of how uncomfortable her hair felt.

He smiled. “What do you think?”

She squinted. “Birthday?”

“Birthday,” he confirmed, smoothing out his own matching cloak.

And so, the plan for that day was to buy him a present.

It wasn't the capital of the country that they were in. It was a town on the outskirts, near the mountains and what could be classed as the countryside, and the shops and houses were only a short distance away from where Adrien's home was located.

There wasn't anything rundown about it.

And to her surprise, it wasn't completely made up of demons. There were a few humans mixed in, some children walking through the streets bundled up in winter clothes, and there were no looks of distrust towards either of them.

The problem was that Luka was known by all of them. Adrien was his guardian, after all, so it didn't surprise her when they all tried to get on his good side, lowering the prices for items for him and getting better quality ones out from the back for him to see.

He wasn't boastful about it, though.

Marinette nudged Kagami with her elbow. “Thanks for getting us out here.”

“It wasn't me.”

“It was,” she insisted. “And you're forever the bestest.”

Kagami wrinkled her nose. “Use a real word.”

“Want me to recite poetry about how wonderful you are? Because I can—” Marinette cut herself off with a yelp as she started to slip.

Kagami caught her before she could fall.

“You're amazing,” she gushed, holding Kagami's gloved hands in her own. “I owe you my life now. I'll do anything you ask me.”

Luka choked out a laugh. “Mari.”

“You shut up,” she retorted, glaring at him. “You could've saved me without lifting a finger!”

“Why would I?” he asked. “You've got a shield. You wouldn't have gotten hurt.”

“It can only absorb one hit!” she exclaimed, letting go of Kagami's hands. “What if I _bounced_?”

He pointed out, “You wouldn't bounce.”

Marinette looked down at her chest before jumping on the spot.

He looked aghast.

Kagami laughed.

She whirled around, gleeful.

Kagami turned her head, starting to walk away.

“I heard that!” she called out, running after her before throwing her arms around Kagami's back, hugging her tightly and putting her head on her shoulder. “You laughed. That means we're stuck together forever.”

“It means nothing of the sort,” Kagami denied.

“It's a pact,” she declared. “You've completed it by finding me funny. I'm never leaving your side now.”

“You're on my back, not my side.”

She grinned. “You're in a good mood.”

“Am I?” Kagami questioned.

“You are,” Marinette insisted, reaching up and poking Kagami's cheek gently. “You're positively glowing. You're not pregnant, are you?”

She got a glare in return.

“Good, because I don't want to share you,” she declared. “I'll fight anyone who wants your hand in marriage.”

“Who said anything about marriage?” Luka questioned.

“Sex _before_ marriage?” Marinette gasped. “That's absurd.”

“Is it?” he asked.

“Is it not?” she enquired. “Some of the old-fashioned people back home for me think it's a sin. What about here?”

Luka shook his head. “I'm not educating you about sex.”

Kagami had other plans. “It's not.”

With a smile, she leaned into her more, making it so she was practically clinging onto her with all her might. “Tell me more.”

“No.”

“Come on, Kagami!” she exclaimed. “You're my teacher for the forbidden things.”

“When have I ever taught you something forbidden?” Kagami questioned.

She pointed out, “Since a minute ago.”

“That does not count.”

“It counts,” Luka confirmed. “You're the one tainting the child, not me.”

“I'll fight you!” Marinette threatened, raising a fist. “You'll never make it to your next birthday.”

-x-

While they'd been allowed out, no one else was getting in. Adrien was the one purchasing most of the shopping needed—including the clothes they'd been given and topping up on groceries from the short walk into town—and he left whenever he had to see someone for business.

At times, it was hard to remember that he was supposed to be the leader of all the demons.

She could understand it for his strength; his level of magic was higher than anyone else's, and he excelled at almost every kind of magic that she knew of, but she didn't know whether that was what qualified him for his position.

If she was being honest, she didn't know much about him.

She found him in his library, basking in the sunlight that was coming through the window.

“Hey,” she started.

He didn't open his eyes. “You usually spar at this time.”

“I wanted to see you,” she said, coming to sit on the desk in front of him instead of bringing a chair over. Her legs didn't touch the floor, so she kicked her feet aimlessly, feeling like a child. “I rarely see you nowadays.”

“I don't know what you mean,” he replied.

“You stayed away for a week to avoid me,” she pointed out, trying not to whine. “You've been weird lately.”

“Chloé would have never agreed to transport me back every night,” he said, looking at her with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. “It wasn't a decision I wanted to make, but I had to go. I'm sorry for leaving you.”

She blurted, “Did you even ask her?”

“No,” Adrien confirmed. “She already left town. I have no way of contacting her so soon.”

Even with a year of living in the world, it was hard to remember how difficult it was to contact others. It was bad enough when she'd seen in films and heard from her parents how technology had been before, yet that didn't compare to having to pay to send letters because there wasn't even a postal service that was free for all.

Sometimes, she wondered what it would've been like if anyone summoned was a genius at creating things.

The only thing she had going for her—and her friends—were the potions reduced to pills and other items shrunk down to marbles of different colours. It wasn't very impressive when she didn't know what was what, or that it had to be her or another mage to undo the magic.

“You said you'd get to know me,” she reminded him. “What happened to that?”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You never spend time with me now,” Marinette whispered, ever-so-quietly. “You used to be with me every moment you could.”

“You don't need me now,” he pointed out.

She didn't know what to do with that answer.

So, she focused on asking, “What about training me? That's something only you can do.”

He didn't look at her as he said, “Luka can help you for now.”

She questioned, “Why?”

“He is fit for the job,” he replied. “And if he's going to be with you, he will need to be acquainted with your magical limits.”

“Luka's watched me for months, he knows what I can do,” she pointed out. “I want to know _more_.”

“I am busy,” he said.

Marinette squinted. “You're sat catching dust in the library.”

“How I spend my free time is up to me,” Adrien replied, an audible breath escaping him. “Is this not acceptable any more? You used to sit with me.”

She kicked her feet again, anything to be distracted from her feelings.

It wasn't a calculated move when she whispered, “I don't know you.”

“No?” he asked, so quiet that it almost wasn't audible.

“Not as a friend,” she said, looking down at her feet as they moved. “I know of you as a feared enemy that pillages villages, and as my babysitter for a while who didn't want me to do anything dangerous, but I don't—I don't know you as a _person_.”

His voice cracked. “Why do you say that?”

“Because.” Marinette wetted her lips. “I never saw you as an equal? You've either been a person to be feared or the babysitter that was there until I could get back to my parents. We were never on the same level.”

“I don't know what you want from me,” Adrien admitted, running a hand over his face and pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes. “I'm trying to protect you and you're _fighting_ me.”

“I want to protect myself,” she stated, meeting his gaze with a wobbly smile. “I want to talk to you like a friend and actually be there for you. I don't—I don't want it to be all about me this time.”

He swallowed.

“I want to know you,” Marinette murmured, hoping that her sincerity was coming through in her voice. “And I want you to trust me.”

“Okay,” he whispered before saying the word again, louder that time. And with that, he sat up straighter and said, “I'm Adrien, a demon.”

“Marinette,” she said, holding her hand out to him. “A mage.”

And instead of the shake that she was expecting, as it would've been in her world, Adrien hesitated, looking between her and her hand before taking it and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

She was as embarrassed as when Luka had done that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥( *ˊᵕˋ)


	20. 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** adrien agreed to let mari come to the castle, the trio went into town in matching cloaks, and mari and adrien tried to start again as friends.
> 
> everyone: omg the romance is starting
> 
> me: have u considered a hinted tragic backstory?? no????
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“Marinette,” Adrien started as he came into the dining room, floating plates of breakfast for each of them behind him. There was something impressive about him not having to look at what he was directing, so confident with his movements that he didn't have to double-check. “Do you have any plans for today?”

She sleepily rubbed her eyes. “Eh?”

“Today,” he repeated, setting down their plates and taking the seat beside her, leaving Luka to sit alone on the other side of the table.

To her right, Kagami asked, “Marinette?”

“What?” she slurred, still drowsy.

“You're not—Mari?” Kagami questioned.

She blinked. “Yes?”

“Marinette?” Luka repeated.

She felt like she wasn't quite awake yet. “What?”

Kagami's expression was mirrored on Luka's face. “Your name—”

“Marinette is her name,” Adrien clarified, making it clear what the confusion had been all about. “It's where you got Rin _and_ Mari from, yes?”

Dumbly, she nodded.

He looked satisfied as he started to eat.

It hadn't occurred to her until then that she hadn't explained that detail to her friends. She'd been too concerned going over her backstory, trying to make them understand that she hadn't meant for them both to get tangled up in it, and hadn't thought to elaborate on the simplest detail.

“I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” she admitted, feeling a bit awkward as she cleared her throat. “Where I'm from, we have family names? Dupain from my dad, Cheng from my mom.”

Adrien asked, “You take both?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes?”

“Sometimes,” Luka repeated, confused. “Why?”

“Hell if I know,” she replied. “This is just what I'm named. My parents picked it for me. I can't change it—well I can, but it takes money and getting in contact with the government. It's a big hassle.”

Kagami latched onto that. “You can change your name?”

“Yeah, totally,” she said. “Or I could wait and marry someone to steal their last name and keep the Marinette the same.”

Adrien remarked, “Your world's very odd.”

She beamed. “A bit.”

“Eat,” he encouraged. “You'll need your strength for what I want to teach you.”

“What are you going to do?” Luka asked.

“Something that you're not capable of,” was Adrien's cryptic response.

Luka huffed. “That's a lot.”

“Loser,” Marinette teased.

He kicked her under the table.

She squawked in surprise before accidentally hitting her knee on the table, taking in a sharp breath and promptly choking on that, too. It was a series of stupid events that ended up with her red-faced and panting, sitting in the middle of Adrien and Kagami who were looking at her in exasperation.

“Okay, don't pat my back,” she muttered, bitter. “Not like the choking human needs any help, thanks.”

“You said you wanted to die,” Kagami helpfully reminded her.

She stuck her tongue out.

-x-

“What are we doing?” Marinette asked, rubbing her arms and shivering, trying to keep some warmth through her clothes. Adrien had given her one of his cloaks that had fur on the inside instead of letting her wear the one she'd been given before. “If you said you wanted to spend time outside in the snow, I would've rejected you immediately.”

He didn't sound sincere as he said, “Sorry, I know you hate it out here.”

The sleeves were too long and instead of falling down between her knee or mid-calf, it was trailing across the ground and getting wet.

It smelled of him.

She huffed. “Why are we here?”

They were in the garden that time.

Perhaps it would be a grander sight when the weather was better, but they were so far up north that she was sure that it never fully cleared from either being damp and dreary or covered in snow. Luka had admitted that it was never as warm as it had been down in Nal-Yun, back in the castle.

“Since you don't want to see Chloé yet, I'll have to do,” he stated, pushing the hood of his cloak off and ruffling his hair. “I admit, I'm not exactly... talented at it.”

She frowned. “At _what_?”

He smiled. “Teleporting.”

“You can teleport?” she questioned, baffled. “You never said anything before.”

“Well, you never asked,” he replied, tilting his head. “I'm not going to tell you all my secrets, am I?”

She adjusted her gloves. “I thought it was only Chloé?”

“She's the best at it,” Adrien corrected. “But there are a few others that are passable at it.”

“Passable,” she repeated, dubious. “What does that mean?”

“It means they can end up at their imagined destination,” he told her with a laugh. “I would rank in that category, while the others cannot grasp that sort of magic regardless of how much they try. If what Luka's said is true, you might have a knack for it.”

She shifted on the spot, snow making a noise beneath her boots. “You mean turning up across the country?”

“Yes!” Adrien agreed, nodding. “Unfortunately, that magic isn't responsive to Luka, so he'll never be able to accomplish that.”

“I feel like you're just shit-talking about him now,” she mused.

He winked. “It's good to know everyone's weaknesses.”

“And yours?” she asked.

“Mine's my big heart, of course,” he replied without hesitation.

She laughed at that. “Yeah, I'll go tell that to the humans. I'm sure it'll have them planning out the perfect plot to overthrow you.”

He came closer, holding his hand out to her.

Suspicious, she put her hand on his slowly.

“Before you laugh, I'll have you know I'm the second best at this,” Adrien informed her, making her hold onto his other hand for good measure. And after a few moments had passed with them both standing there and looking blankly at each other, he gave her a smile and said, “Close your eyes.”

“Got problems performing under pressure?” she quipped, obediently doing as she was told.

There was no rush of air, nothing to indicate that they'd moved, yet when she opened her eyes, they were on the path leading up to the house, still within his barrier.

Marinette clapped slowly.

He offered his hands again.

She took them faster.

Adrien returned them to the back garden.

As amazing as it was that she hadn't had to take a single step, she blurted, “Is that it?”

He laughed. “I don't want to take you any further.”

“Okay, rude,” she said, snatching her hands back. “But really, how far _can_ you go? If you're bad at it—”

“It's not that I'm bad,” Adrien interrupted, though there was nothing that indicated that his reaction was one of offence. “Chloé is freakishly good at it. She's far more advanced with this than any other magic, which shows for everyday things for her.”

“We're shit-talking Chloé now? Cool.”

“Do you not remember her?” he asked.

“I barely remember anything,” she admitted with a shrug. “It was all—so much? And it's normal to, like, try and block out stuff that wasn't happy, or if it's been too long it all starts to fade—”

“Okay,” he said, a strange wobble to his voice as he put his hands on her shoulders. “It's okay, you don't need to explain.”

It hit her then how he could've been interpreting it—that she'd barely remember him. And the fact that he wasn't wrong had her averting her eyes, staring down at the snow and seeing that he'd transported them back exactly to where they'd been standing, right down to the footprints in the snow.

“Chloé—” Marinette cleared her throat, still keeping her eyes down on the ground. “She said that she had to recharge before? But you just used that twice.”

“That's a lie,” he bluntly told her.

She was startled. “What?”

“She doesn't need to recharge after one trip, no matter the distance,” Adrien explained, taking his hand back to run it through his hair before pulling his hood up again. It wasn't far enough on his head, looking like it would fall off at any moment. “And something like this isn't going to wear me out. I only wanted to show you how limited my distance can be.”

Marinette frowned. “So, what? You think I can do this as well?”

His smile didn't look forced. “Yes.”

“I don't know how,” she admitted scuffing her boot against the snow. “It wasn't—I didn't even think about doing that when it happened. And I don't know _how_? I panicked.”

“Well, I don't want to panic you,” he said. “We can start by having you... try to visualise it? It worked for me, before.”

She had to ask, “What if I end up across the country again?”

“As long as you're holding onto me, I'll take us back,” he assured her.

Marinette took ahold of his sleeve. “How much of you do I have to be touching?”

“This is enough,” he said. “As long as it's something attached to me, it'll work.”

There was a beat of silence.

Then, she lamented, “I don't know what I'm doing.”

“Try and picture it,” he advised. “I know you used to find it hard that there wasn't any chanting involved in spells. But you're older, so your body is better fit to use magic. It should come naturally now.”

Marinette snorted. “You telling me I was shit because I was young?”

Adrien laughed. “Yes.”

“Very reassuring,” she said with a shake of her head. “What's your excuse for being so good back then?”

“Terrible training?” he mused. “My parents were... unconventional, even for our kind. They wanted me to be exceptional, so I was put through a lot of danger to better develop my magic.”

She squinted. “I thought you came into it while you matured?”

“Yes,” he agreed. “But the more you use a spell, the better you become at it.”

“Like Chloé making me shield over and over before,” she concluded, shivering.

“Exactly like that,” Adrien said, smile not quite reaching his eyes any more. “I'm not powerful because of what I was put through, but I'm more... familiar with a lot of spells because of it. There's not much of a learning curve when I've learned all that I can.”

She had to say, “Other than teleporting.”

“Yes, other than that,” he agreed, reaching up and adjusting her hood so it was on more, neglecting his own that was slowly slipping down. “I hadn't learned that when you were here before, otherwise I would've used it around you.”

“Adrien,” she started, struggling to find the right words. “How—how long have you been the leader?”

“Leader?” he questioned with a tilt of his head.

“Whatever you are to be named the Demon King,” she said, gesturing to him with the hand that wasn't clutching his sleeve. “That—you were called that before, too.”

He looked a bit uncomfortable. “Rather than saying I'm the leader, it's more... I'm the strongest? It's natural for responsibilities to come my way because of that.”

She swallowed. “But you were a kid.”

“I was,” he agreed.

She spoke louder than intended. “Why?”

“Because I didn't really have a choice,” he said, suddenly averting his gaze to look at anything but her. “There's not—it wasn't my decision. Humans have been hunting us down and starting a war for stupid reasons for centuries. I don't know what else I'm supposed to do.”

Her opinion didn't matter.

Instead of pressing that topic further, Marinette whispered, “Okay.”

Adrien stayed quiet.

They stayed outside until it started snowing with no success.

-x-

It didn't really hit that Adrien was supposed to be the leader of his people until he'd come back covered in blood.

At her panicked gaze, he'd held his hands up and assured her that it wasn't her own.

That didn't make it any better.

“What did you expect?” Luka asked her later after Adrien had disappeared again. “I told you that he revives everyone that's willing before.”

“Do they have, like, something specific on them to indicate they _want_ that?” Marinette babbled, brushing her hair away from her face. “How do you know?”

The answer was simple. “Jewellery.”

“Oh,” was all she could say to that.

“Why are you not fighting?” Kagami asked.

He raised his eyebrows at that. “Me?”

“Demons,” Kagami clarified with a disapproving click of her tongue from being misunderstood. “You could end it before any damage is done to you. Why not?”

“Because we—it's never been our goal to own everything?” Luka tried to reply, scratching his cheek. “Not me specifically, but in the past we've tried to talk to the human kings to try and live peacefully. It's... never worked.”

Marinette pointed out, “The last king wasn't that mad. He proposed a talk with Adrien and brought me along to it.”

“A talk,” Luka repeated, dubious.

She shrugged. “I don't really remember? I wasn't warned about Adrien at all, so imagine my surprise when some teenage boy walks in. At the time he seemed like an older student I'd see at school and think was cool or something, but now I'm realising how... horrifying that is.”

“How old is he?” Kagami asked.

Luka admitted, “We don't really keep track past maturity.”

“...When do you know when you're done?” Marinette questioned.

He shrugged.

It was a very informative answer.

“What are you doing for your birthday?” she asked instead, changing the subject.

He shrugged again.

“What do you usually do?” she pestered, reaching out and poking him. “Any weird traditions? My parents liked to make me breakfast in bed, but that usually ended up with me spilling everything because I can't sit still for long.”

Luka smiled. “No traditions.”

“No?”

“It's not—it's not a big deal?” It came out sounding like a question. “I get presents, though. That's still a thing for me because I'm young.”

“And cake?” she demanded.

He tilted his head. “No cake.”

Marinette clenched a fist. “Another injustice.”

“There's a bakery in town,” Kagami pointed out.

“It's not personal enough!” she exclaimed. “I can make it. Let me check the kitchen to see if there's enough ingredients—”

No one tried to stop her any more.

Luka supported almost everything that she wanted to do, coming along for the ride and offering her protection from her own stupidity with his magic. And while Kagami was still inclined to keep her safe, she'd loosened up and allowed her to do more without questioning her motives.

It wasn't a matter of blowing up the cauldrons in the kitchen because she was bored.

Adrien had reluctantly allowed her to learn more, supplying all the potions ingredients that she would need. Although he couldn't be there in person all of the time, he was giving her a few tips to better use her magic and be more useful despite him still not being happy about her plan to come along for the inevitable trip to the castle in the future.

She wasn't going to push him to do it sooner when her friends had no other way to make it back.

It had been a very obscure piece of information that had barely any leads in the beginning, but Adrien had made it happen.

She very much doubted that the humans would ever be able to accomplish anything like that when they didn't have magic. Then again, they had managed to summon her twice.

When her attention went back to finding the supplies she needed, all the candles weren't the kind she was looking for.

And along with that, there wasn't any alcohol in storage either.

“Adrien doesn't like to drink,” was Luka's explanation.

“What a pussy,” she muttered.

Kagami smiled at that.

“Fine, no alcohol,” she said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “And no candles because _why_ would you have them?”

“We have candles,” Luka insisted, perplexed.

Kagami pointed to the candle in the middle of the dining table that was for decoration only.

“I'm not shoving that in a cake,” she said, horrified. “It would destroy it!”

Kagami snapped it in half.

Marinette choked out a laugh. “That's not the problem—”

“Mari,” Luka said, patting her on the back. “Having a cake is already enough of a luxury. You don't need to add fire to it, too. You might burn down the house.”

She sniffed. “I can summon water better than fire, thank you.”

Luka snorted. “So you can make up for your mistakes?”

“It might smell like smoke for a bit, but it'll work,” she replied. “You're just trying to stop me from getting better than you at it!”

“You're nowhere near as good as me,” he said, a smug smile on his lips. “It'll take you a few years to catch up.”

To that, she concentrated and had a flame appear on the end of her extended index finger, thrusting it proudly in front of his face.

It flared, singeing his hair.

Marinette gawked.

Luka touched the suddenly crispy bits at the end of his fringe, stunned.

The flame she'd summoned spluttered and disappeared, the exit as disappointingly average as when she'd called for it.

“I—sorry?” Marinette stuttered out, cringing as she tried to fluff his hair and make it better.

He was still wide-eyed that she'd shoved a flame into his face.

Beside him, Kagami burst out into laughter.

“My hair still looks better than yours,” Luka told her, face turning red when Marinette joined in with laughing at him. He looked like a petulant child as he batted her hand away and frowned, looking dangerously close to pouting.

Through her laughter, Marinette got out, “Like that's hard.”

Kagami kicked her.

Marinette shrieked, stumbling onto Luka, who'd had enough sense to catch her instead of pushing her away.

“Thanks,” she started to say, still a bit breathless.

But instead of replying, he slumped, his body hitting the ground with a loud thud. He hadn't used his hands to cushion his fall, nor did he have a shield cast to absorb the hit.

“Luka?” she called, concerned when he didn't move.

Kagami came over, kneeling down and grasping his chin to turn his head.

“Did he faint?” Marinette asked, crouching down with her.

With pursed lips, Kagami pressed her fingers against his neck before claiming, “He's dead.”

She inhaled sharply. “What?”

“He's not breathing,” Kagami clarified, leaning closer and pressing her ear against his chest, fingers on his pulse point once more. And after a few tense moments had passed, she repeated, “He's dead.”

Her chest felt tight.

Marinette could only stare, eyes becoming dry and irritated as she looked at his still chest. It was made worse when she saw that his eyes were open; they weren't closed enough for her to think that he was sleeping, not when she'd heard about his pulse.

“Mari,” Kagami interrupted, sounding level-headed.

“I—” Marinette choked out, hiccuping.

Kagami took her hand, forcefully putting it on top of where Luka's heart was located. “Do it.”

“I—I don't know how?” she stuttered out, panicked.

“Try,” Kagami demanded.

She did.

There wasn't any effect.

It had been luck when she'd managed to revive him before. And like with the rabbit in the forest, she hadn't intended to hurt him at all—he'd only caught her when she'd fallen and taken the brunt of her magic from being surprised.

She whipped her head around and proposed, “Hit me.”

Kagami stared at her.

“It might work,” she said, shakily putting both of her hands on Luka's chest and looking at Kagami with pleading eyes. “Just—make it hard, I guess? That'll be surprising.”

Kagami flexed her fingers.

She swallowed.

The hit was fast despite her expecting it. Marinette had squeezed her eyes shut, only to fall onto Luka's body when Kagami's fist connected with her face, the sudden blossoming pain surely a sign that her nose had been the target.

Warmth started to drip down into her mouth. And as she spat it out, almost choking when she found another injury, she opened her teary eyes to see Luka groggily sitting up, pressing a hand to his head.

She'd gotten blood on his face.

Confused, Luka looked between Kagami's clenched fist and Marinette's bloody face and asked, “What happened?”

She tried to say, “I think I bit my tongue.”

It didn't come out very clear.

Luka fussed, touching her face and inspecting her chin before asking her to open her mouth, confirming her suspicions.

And when his gaze turned to Kagami in accusation, Kagami bluntly told him, “Mari killed you.”

Marinette ended up spitting blood on Luka's face as she exclaimed, “It was an accident!”

He wiped it away, bewildered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥(・o・)


	21. 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** adrien started to teach mari teleportation magic and revealed a bit of his childhood, and mari accidentally killed and revived luka. 
> 
> i can't believe it took me 21 chapters to include chloé properly??? this is blasphemy. as fun as it's been to have kagami and luka as the main friends, i still struggle with their personalities a lot. i hope they're not too weird??
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“I'm mad at you,” Chloé stated.

Marinette ducked.

“You're a little brat,” Chloé accused, sounding more bored than annoyed. “And I'm going to do this until you start sweating because your pretty face is bothering me.”

She didn't manage to dodge that time. After the shield she'd conjured absorbed the hit, she summoned another for assurance that she wouldn't get hurt.

It was clear that Chloé was doing it more for show rather than to actually harm her.

At least, she hoped that was the case.

“You're _infuriating_ ,” Chloé told her, finishing that statement by pushing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. She was dressed more for the cold weather than the last time they'd met. “And your hair's a colour I can't get.”

“You like pink?” she asked.

The knife that was aimed at her face hit her shield.

Chloé didn't pause, throwing another with her magic without having to lift a finger.

“Do I like _pink_?” Chloé exclaimed, exasperated. “That's what you're going to ask?”

“Well, I didn't think you'd respond well to being asked to stop,” she lamely replied, managing not to flinch as she absorbed another hit.

The bad part of magic meant that Chloé didn't have to pick up the discarded knives that clattered to the floor; rather, she was purposely levitating them one-by-one and throwing them her way, reminiscent to how it used to be between them.

“Is this necessary?” Marinette complained, rubbing a hand over her face. “I thought we could have an emotional reconnection, you know? But—”

“You lied to my face,” Chloé interrupted, glaring.

She grimaced. “Did I? Because I feel like I was avoiding the subject.”

Chloé insisted, “You didn't say.”

“You didn't ask,” she retorted.

Chloé threw two knives that time.

Her shield could only absorb one hit; it wasn't as complex as Adrien's.

“I babysit your ass and _this_ is how I get repaid?” Chloé lamented, putting one thigh on top of the over from where she was sat on the kitchen counter, sitting upright with grace that seemed misplaced for the situation. “You run off across the country with a catboy instead of contacting me.”

“How was I supposed to do that?” she muttered. “Pay to send a letter? I didn't know where you were—”

“You could've told Luka,” Chloé said.

She shrugged. “And you could've teleported in and stolen me away in the middle of the night. Why did you never do that, by the way? Seems better than having Luka infiltrate and pretend to be a cat for months.”

Chloé pouted. “I'm not allowed to kill.”

“...Kidnapping isn't enough for you?”

With a roll of her eyes, Chloé claimed, “It's boring.”

“Right,” she said slowly. “What happened to being second-in-command? It doesn't sound like you're very trusted here.”

Chloé scoffed. “What's there to be trusted with when Adrien doesn't _want_ to kill anyone? If he's going to play around, I'll do what I want with my time.”

She blinked. “This whole leader situation doesn't seem to be going well.”

“Didn't you wonder why he didn't just _get_ you?” Chloé demanded, jumping down onto the floor with her heels making an audible noise. It didn't seem like a smart decision to wear those shoes in such weather conditions outside. “He suspected it was you after Luka's first report. Who else could use necromancy but you?”

Marinette was glad that she'd stopped being attacked.

“I don't know,” she mumbled, fiddling with her sleeves. “Is it not—is it not possible for anyone else? I don't know how magic manifests or whatever. It's different for everyone else, right?”

“Necromancy isn't the type of magic that would appear out of nowhere,” Chloé told her, crossing her arms. “The only reason you know it is because Adrien taught you in the garden. It took _months_.”

She shrugged. “So, wouldn't that be the case with everyone else?”

“No,” Chloé said, drawing out the vowel and looking at her with exasperation. “That's what I'm trying to tell you here.”

Marinette frowned. “What?”

“Like me with teleporting,” Chloé said, pointing at her chest before at her. “It was luck that your magic has the same traits as him.”

“I'm sorry, what?” she blurted. “Traits?”

Chloé scowled. “What the fuck have you been learning?”

“Nothing, apparently,” she muttered. “ _Traits_? What?”

And that was how she got a crash course; whereas she'd been informed before that each person would have one type of magic that they'd excel at naturally, she hadn't thought that it would mirror someone else's. With the revelation that she could use death magic, it was assumed that she'd be able to eventually replicate all of Adrien's strengths as her own because they were similar.

“So, he's shit with fire,” was her conclusion.

Chloé sighed.

“What?” Marinette questioned with a huff. “Am I wrong? I'm shit at that, so that means—”

“It means he's _passable_ ,” Chloé interrupted, sounding as though she'd rather be talking about anything else. “You think he'd be called the strongest if he could only make a spark?”

“I can do more than a spark!” she exclaimed.

Chloé snorted. “You're not burning my hair.”

Her throat felt tight. “You heard about that.”

With a hum, Chloé remarked, “Oh, I more than heard about it. That's why I'm here.”

“What?”

Chloé's smile was all teeth. “I'm training you again.”

“You _never_ trained me—”

“Why do you think you're so good at shields?” Chloé questioned, haughtily raising her head. “If you keep going, you'll be able to stand multiple hits.”

“Hits stay first instead of blocking people from walking through?” she questioned.

Chloé levitated another knife. “Why don't you find out?”

She didn't flinch.

-x-

With the tray suspended in the air behind her, Marinette summoned water and splashed it over Luka's face.

He woke up with a yelp, instinctively swiping out and pushing her away.

She laughed. “Your fault for not having a shield up.”

Luka grumbled something unintelligible, rubbing his palms into his eyes in an attempt to wake up. His hair was more of a mess than usual, his sleeping clothes loose and hanging off his shoulders, and he looked more child-like when he was drowsy.

There were times were she was reminded that he really was the age he looked, rather than like the other demons he surrounded himself with.

She managed to put the tray down neatly on his lap with no spills without using her hands. Her magic was becoming steadier, easier to use on command, and casual use of it made everyday life easier.

“What's this?” he asked hoarsely.

“A birthday meal,” she said with a smug tone, putting her hands on her hips. “It's a good thing I woke up early to do this. Chloé's here.”

He frowned. “She is?”

“Her birthday present to you is clearly herself,” she quipped. “Happy birthday, dude.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled, staring down at the tray of food with wide eyes. “This—you made this for me?”

“Yes.”

He scratched his cheek. “It's... a lot.”

“Whatever you don't eat, I can store away,” she said, showing off by shooting a little water out of her finger before condensing it down and catching the marble. “Pick and choose what you want. I overfilled it on purpose.”

Luka smiled at that.

She hovered, asking whether he had the drink he wanted, only for him to pat the bed and demand for her to eat with him so she'd be quiet.

Marinette couldn't reject that.

There came a loud knock at the door.

Her mouth was full of food, so Luka called out, “What?”

Kagami came in, frowning.

Marinette grimaced. “Hey, you're up...”

“You didn't wake me,” Kagami accused.

“I didn't need your help!” she exclaimed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “And it's not like you're ever up _that_ early. I gave you a few precious hours more of sleep.”

Kagami continued to frown at her.

“It's not like anyone can get in here with the barrier,” she mumbled, taking a large chunk of bread and stuffing it in her mouth to avoid having to talk.

Luka laughed. “We've got enough food for you.”

Kagami sat on the other side of the bed, not using a free hand to try and stop the crumbs falling onto the duvet, and stared at Luka as she ate.

He rolled his eyes.

They were still eating when another knock came to the door.

Luka was the one to answer that one, too.

“You awake?” Adrien asked as nudged open the door, adjusting the blanket he had wrapped around his shoulders like a cloak. “I didn't know what time you wanted to be up—”

There was a moment where everyone simply looked at each other.

Adrien cleared his throat. “Sorry, I... I didn't realise you had company.”

Luka shrugged, taking another bite of food.

From a distance, she could see that Adrien's ears had turned red from embarrassment.

She wondered what he had to feel shy about in that moment. The relationship he had with Luka wasn't one she knew much of; Luka had been taken in as a teenager after his parents had died because of his magic, but she didn't know what age that entailed. It could've meant that they'd only been together for a few years or a couple more.

There wasn't a lot of affection between them, she could tell that.

Luka never sought out Adrien to speak one-on-one. Then again, Adrien was either busy around the home or pulled her aside to talk, never usually spending the time lazing around and doing nothing.

She blurted, “Want to join us?”

Adrien's smile didn't reach his eyes. “There doesn't seem to be any room.”

She couldn't refute that when there was already three of them on the bed.

“Happy birthday, Luka,” he said before shutting the door softly behind him.

It was more than a little awkward.

She whirled around, looking at Luka in accusation. “Aren't you friends?”

He blinked. “Friends?”

“With Adrien,” she said, gesturing towards the door with more bread before she ate it with enthusiasm. And after she swallowed with no more of a reply than Luka looking down at the tray, she asked, “Are you—do you even get on?”

“Of course we do,” he said, sounding a bit confused. “Why would you think we don't?”

“You—you're, like, never together,” she lamely said.

Kagami was the one to say, “He's busy.”

“So?” she demanded. “You used to work with him, didn't you?”

“Not with him directly,” Luka admitted. “I went to towns and cities with Chloé to do the low-level jobs. I rarely went anywhere outside with him.”

She tilted her head. “Really?”

“I don't know what you want me to say,” Luka murmured.

“I thought you'd be... closer,” she pondered. “Because you're both nice. Why _wouldn't_ you get along? And it's not like you think of him as a parent, right?”

Luka shook his head.

Kagami questioned, “Why do you care?”

“Care?” Marinette echoed.

“It's not your business,” Kagami told her.

“Well, I can't deny that,” she admitted with an audible sigh. “But this—isn't it really awkward to live like this? It's either us three or Adrien as the fourth wheel.”

Luka squinted. “Wheel?”

“Forget that.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Would you say you're friends, yes or no?”

Luka frowned. “Maybe?”

“ _Maybe_?” she exclaimed.

He shifted on the bed, staring down at the food once more. “I don't really... have friends.”

“Neither does Kagami!”

Kagami punched her for that.

“What?” she complained, rubbing her arm. “It's not like I said anything wrong! You literally never took a day off or went out of the castle because you had no friends.”

Kagami narrowed her eyes. “So?”

“So,” she started, gesturing between them. “That's changed now! We're all friends, right? If either of you deny that, I'm going to start crying. I'm warning you now.”

Kagami breathed out audibly as a reply.

Luka remarked, “If these are the standards for friendships, then no, I'm not friends with Adrien.”

She was saddened to hear that. “No?”

“I don't mess around with him like I do with you,” he pointed out, gesturing to his burnt hair. “And he hasn't exactly killed me by accident.”

Marinette winced. “I said I was sorry—”

“And I'm still saying it's fine,” he insisted, interrupting her and reaching out to gently touch her hand. “It's not your fault your magic is fluctuating. It's natural.”

“Right, killing people is natural,” she muttered.

“You're not the first to kill him,” Kagami said. “He will get over it.”

She made a choked noise.

“I didn't realise anything had happened,” Luka mused, running his fingers through his messy hair. “There wasn't—there was no pain? I felt like I'd just woken up from a nap.”

“A nap of _death_ ,” she accused.

His smile showed his teeth. “It was very refreshing.”

“You can't joke about this!” Marinette exclaimed, wildly gesturing between them. “That—what if I _couldn't_ revive you again? Adrien would've come home and seen your body on the floor—”

“And he would've revived me,” he said.

She narrowed her eyes. “You don't have any jewellery on you.”

He brushed aside some hair to point out the piercing at the top of his ear.

“Since when did you have that?” she demanded.

“I found it in my drawer a couple of days ago,” he admitted. “I forgot to put it in when I found you.”

She asked, “Why an earring?”

“Bracelets are annoying,” was his response. “Even worse than wearing a collar.”

“If it wasn't your birthday, I'd hit you,” she threatened, clenching a fist.

He laughed. “What's my gift?”

“Life,” Kagami bluntly replied.

His laughter grew louder.

-x-

Chloé was only allowed in for short periods of time.

After their first disastrous meeting post-kidnapping, it was smart to keep Chloé and Kagami apart. When Kagami didn't respond to the taunts or pointed comments sent her way, Chloé grew visibly frustrated and tried to get a rise out of her using magic.

It resulted in Kagami kicking Chloé's leg to break the shield before slicing some of her hair off with her sword.

Adrien had to intervene and separate them.

“Stupid human,” Chloé grumbled, sitting up on the countertop, high enough up that her feet couldn't touch the floor despite how tall she was. “Why would you bring _that_ here?”

“You can't call her a that,” Marinette retorted. “She outsmarted you, get over it.”

Chloé scoffed. “Outsmarted?”

“No?” she asked. “What else would you call it, then? Kagami knows that you're shit at shielding.”

“I'm _not_ shit—”

“You didn't even teleport away because you thought she wasn't a threat,” she pointed out. “You got bested and now your pride's hurt—that's cool, yeah. It's your fault for provoking someone that literally walks around with a sword attached to them all day.”

Chloé's expression twisted into an unflattering scowl. “You used to be nicer.”

“You used to scare me,” she quipped, pretending to shoot her. “Aren't we supposed to be practising? I'm not your therapist.”

She got a ball of fire thrown at her for that.

Marinette exclaimed, “That was uncalled for!”

“What? You didn't want to sit around doing nothing,” Chloé retorted.

“I'm standing,” was her smart response to that.

Chloé snorted. “I'm not supposed to wear you out too much.”

“No?” she questioned. “But I have mana potions—”

“It's not good to use too many of those,” Chloé informed her. “You can get addicted.”

She squinted. “So, it's drugs.”

Chloé ignored that, instead telling her, “Adrien's going to teach you more about your magic tomorrow. I got told not to do anything too extreme, so that means we're doing nothing at all.”

Marinette didn't believe that immediately. “But you love throwing things at me.”

“Of course.” Chloé's smile reached her eyes. “I also love slacking on the job.”

She gave her a thumbs up. “I get you.”

“Mari,” Chloé said, latching onto the new name without question. It was a wonder how much information she'd been told when Marinette wasn't present. “You're going back home, aren't you?”

She tilted her head. “Why are you asking?”

“Adrien seems to think you might be sticking around for a while,” Chloé remarked, sounding dubious. “What did you tell him?”

“That—” Marinette cleared her throat, fiddling with her hair. “I might actually do that? I mean, he can only send me back to exactly when I'd been summoned, so—”

Chloé loudly interrupted her with, “Why?”

“Why?” she echoed, repeating the word slowly.

“You're taking it better this time,” Chloé pointed out. “And I'm noticing that from barely spending any time with you.”

She smiled. “Am I?”

“You're not crying at any of my attacks,” Chloé said, gesturing between them. “If I ever hit you with a flame before, you would've pissed yourself.”

“I've _never—_ ”

Chloé insisted, “You're smiling more.”

“Like you even remember back then?” she retorted, unable to keep the irritation from her voice. “I've grown up! Can you two just—can you _stop_ expecting me to react like I used to? I'm not the same person!”

Chloé outright laughed. “No?”

“No,” said Marinette with her voice cracking. “I'm not.”

“Breasts make you a whole new person, do they?” Chloé taunted, going for the sharp comments that she knew would sting instead of asking normally. The lack of tact wasn't somewhat charming like it was for Kagami.

They'd barely spent any time together. It was no longer the situation where she'd been scared without Adrien by her side, rightfully terrified when Chloé insisted on throwing things at her to try and get her to shield them. Marinette wasn't desperately wanting to get back home so she could have a semblance of a normal life again.

That wasn't her goal any more.

“No,” she denied, meeting Chloé's gaze and keeping it. “But not having a family to go back to does change things.”

Chloé blinked. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh,” she muttered, running a hand roughly through her hair and ruining any tame hairstyle she'd had. “Can you stop being a dick and actually teach me something? I want to get good enough at shielding that I push you back and kick you out of the house.”

Chloé breathed out audibly. “You'll need a lot of practise for that.”

“Let's go, then,” Marinette suggested, pointing towards the knives. “Keep throwing two.”

With a quiet laugh, Chloé questioned, “Do you have any sense of danger any more?”

“I'm addicted to health potions now,” she proclaimed, flashing her a peace sign with her hand. “I need an excuse to indulge in my new hobby.”

Chloé snorted. “Don't turn into Adrien.”

She was caught off-guard. “What?”

It was enough for her to get hit in the arm by the second knife when she didn't dodge it in time. Her shield wasn't good enough to even attempt to stop the second hit, still being consumed by the first.

“What did you say?” she questioned, clutching her bleeding arm where her shirt had been ripped.

Chloé brushed her hair back. “I didn't say anything.”

“Adrien's addicted to health potions?” she demanded.

Chloé denied it. “No.”

She spluttered, “But you just said—”

“He used to be,” Chloé corrected with a haughty air to her where she was still sat on the counter without having moved. “You think he got that good at spells at such a young age normally? Please, that's practically impossible.”

It had been brought up in the past, but she'd never expected that.

She didn't know how to respond to that.

Chloé took that as a sign to say, “His dad used to make him use spells on humans.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “I—what?”

“Well, it was that or using them on his cat,” Chloé mused, sounding as though they were talking about the weather. “You've gotta work hard to improve. And some parents are fucked up and want the best for their kids, no matter how messed up it is.”

She was wide-eyed. “Why are you telling me this?”

“You seem to believe this is some happy place you can have an easy life at,” Chloé plainly told her. “But it's not.”

She quietly said, “I didn't think that.”

“No?” Chloé didn't sound convinced. “There will be humans that'll try and kill you on sight. And when you tell Adrien that, he'll say not to retaliate because it will do _nothing_.”

Marinette swallowed. “What do you want from me?”

“I want to know if you're serious about staying here or not,” Chloé said. “It won't do any good for Adrien to get attached to you again.”

“I don't—”

“Do you actually want to save those humans you were with?” Chloé interrupted, a frown on her lips. “You haven't asked once for me to get them.”

She blinked. “But you said no to Adrien.”

Chloé pointed out, “I haven't to you, have I?”

“You don't even like me,” she blurted out.

“You're not _that_ bad,” Chloé replied with a smile. “A lot more tolerable when you're not whimpering and crying because I threatened you a bit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥( *ˊᵕˋ)


	22. 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** chloé returned to teach mari magic, luka had his birthday and revealed he's not that close to adrien, and chloé confessed more of adrien's backstory. 
> 
> a reminder that this story is planned to have around... 30 chapters in total??? i have up to 26 done already, but i'm busy with secret santas for a while >< there might be a skipped friday or not in the future because of that. 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“The only way to get better is to actively kill something on a regular basis,” Adrien instructed, patting her head over the top of her hood. He'd insisted on her using his cloak again. “Otherwise your outbursts are going to get worse. You'll want to get it under control before it happens somewhere public.”

“Yeah, sure,” Marinette muttered, kicking the snow with her boot. They were thick enough to keep the wetness out to save her toes from getting cold. “Like you'll let me go somewhere else.”

“You haven't asked,” he pointed out, letting his hand drop down to his side.

“You literally have a barrier up that keeps me in,” she refuted. “And you've only let me out once.”

Adrien quietly replied, “Again, you haven't asked. As long as you have Luka with you, you can—you can go wherever you want.”

“Oh.” Marinette shivered. “Why are we out here?”

“I taught you with plants, remember?” he said, smile not reaching his eyes as he touched a tree with his bare hands. They were already red from where he'd forgotten his gloves, though he did bring a scarf that time. “I'm not cruel enough to try and make you hurt a person. This is the best compromise I can come up with for now.”

She shifted on the spot. “I'll destroy your garden.”

“And I'm completely fine with that,” he assured her. “It's winter. Who cares?”

“Don't you?” she questioned, looking around to where the hedges had started to grow out from being neatly trimmed. “You had a lot of plants before.”

“Well, plants are nice,” he said, wiping his hand on his cloak. “They're replaceable.”

She didn't know what to say to that.

And unlike when she'd run her hands along the plants in the castle, Adrien wanted her to try and kill from a distance like she'd accidentally done with the rabbit in the past. It was one of the higher-tiers of necromancy, a feat she'd accomplished when she hadn't been flustered or surprised enough to kill what she was holding onto, and she still had no idea how she'd managed it.

It was infuriating.

Adrien was there with her the whole time, a quiet presence that she was sure was supposed to be reassuring. It was silent between them for the most part, with Marinette concentrating and trying to get her magic to listen to her, though he was always open to answering questions.

“Why can't I bring plants back to life?”

“I assume because they're different to us,” Adrien said, pulling off a leaf and inspecting it. “I can't revive animals either.”

She frowned. “But Luka—”

“Is a demon that can shapeshift,” he clarified. “It's magic that's changing his body, so it's not the same.”

It would be stupid to ask him if he was sure.

Adrien had all the experience between the two of them; he was literally the best person to learn from because of his magic level and the compatibility of their traits.

She asked instead, “Can you change into anything?”

“No,” he admitted, not embarrassed in the slightest. “Anything to do with your body is notoriously hard. I can change my senses to pick up more smells for a short period of time, but that's useless when everything has the scent of magic around me. It's not something I do often.”

“Yeah, but smelling _magic_?” Marinette exclaimed, still struggling with the concept of that. “Luka won't tell me much about it. Does it—”

“It's nothing special,” Adrien said with a small laugh. “There's no scent difference between weak magic or something strong. There's just a—certain scent? It's faint, but I can't quite describe what it smells like when it's so neutral.”

She asked, “How long does it stay for?”

“It'll cling to you for a couple of hours,” he replied, tapping her hand with his. “You're supposed to be using yours, remember?”

It was from that action that she asked, “What if I fuck up?”

Adrien sounded concerned as he questioned, “I'm not pushing you too hard, am I?”

“No, but—what if I mess up and teleport instead?” she babbled, gesturing between them. “I don't know what the hell I'm doing. What if I get startled by the wind and end up across the country?”

He frowned. “You weren't worried about this before.”

“Well, that was before I started trying to do hard magic from a distance!” she exclaimed, thrusting her hand out to him. “I need a reassurance.”

He sounded amused as he said, “You can say you want to hold hands.”

“I want to hold onto my sanity, thank you,” Marinette replied, haughtily lifting her head up. “I would've been fine with you holding my sleeve, but okay.”

“Here,” Adrien started, unwrapping his scarf before extending it out to wrap it over both of them. It made it so they were shoulder-to-shoulder, both stiff and awkward. “You can have your hands free this way.”

They were close enough for her to see the blond on the end of his eyelashes.

“Thank you,” she said, going back to glaring at a leaf.

-x-

The days passed without trouble.

When Adrien was teaching her in the garden, Kagami and Luka gave them space and stayed inside the home instead of intruding on the lessons. Luka had said that it wouldn't be beneficial to him in the slightest since he wouldn't be able to wield the magic, and she told Kagami almost everything when they were in the bedroom they shared.

It was still a little strange that Luka was in a different room and sleeping at the same time because of the security that Adrien's barrier offered.

While it was impressive being able to trap those within it and prevent any attacks coming through from the outside, she was even more interested in learning it after Adrien said that it could be attached to anything she wanted like the other shields.

Chloé continued to drop in when she was bored to help her with that.

Kagami and Chloé were still kept apart because of all the glaring that happened when they were in the same space.

Luka wasn't trained enough in shields to be able to manipulate the one around the house, so Adrien had to be there in person to let it down and allow them to pass. Marinette had been positively giddy when he'd reminded her that he wasn't keeping her hostage, though he would prefer it that she stuck close where he could take care of her.

“Take care of me?” Marinette echoed, not trying to hide her smile. “Shouldn't I be pulling my weight or something? I'm basically free-loading off of you.”

“I like your company,” Adrien replied.

She winced. “Oh, sugar daddy vibes.”

He was confused. “What?”

“Paying me for my company is a bit weird,” she mused.

“But I'm not paying for you?” he questioned, tilting his head.

Marinette pulled out the money she'd been given from her pocket.

He frowned. “That's because you deserve it—”

“I'm not trying to be ungrateful,” she said, adjusting the cloak Adrien had given her so the fur on the inside was snugly against her neck and keeping her warm. “I really do appreciate that you're—you're so willing to take me in and everything, but I feel like I'm doing nothing.”

“You're still learning about your magic,” Adrien pointed out. “I'm not sending you out anywhere. There's nowhere that desperately needs assistance right now and I want you close by.”

She tutted. “Keeping me all to yourself?”

He didn't take it as a joke. “Is that so wrong?”

Marinette shrugged for a lack of a verbal answer.

“You're not—” Adrien started, running a hand through his hair. “I want to protect you.”

“Well, yeah,” she agreed. “Why else would you make me go through all this training just to go see my friends? You could've told me to fuck off, but you're actually teaching me stuff.”

He averted his eyes.

“I'm not mad that you haven't gone and got them yet or anything,” she blurted, trying to comfort him awkwardly. “You're—it's not like they're expecting you to turn up. And they're stubborn. I'm sure they're still telling ol' Damocles to fuck off because he's demanding too much.”

All he latched onto was, “You're not mad?”

“No,” she confirmed quietly, offering him a small smile. “You're doing what you think is best.”

Adrien let out a shaky breath. “How can you say that?”

“What do you mean?” she asked. “I'm complimenting you. Shouldn't you be happy about that?”

“Out of everyone, I thought you'd be the one to tell me that I'm wrong,” he spoke under his breath, averting his eyes to look down at his hands as he adjusted his sleeves. “But you're... not.”

“Well,” she started, a bit stumped on what to say to comfort him. “I trust you. If you think storming the castle will only make things worse in the long-run, I'll listen. I am planning to stick around for the aftermath, remember?”

He breathed out audibly. “You're too good.”

“I make up by goodness by having bad self-control,” she quipped.

Adrien smiled at her.

It was unfortunate that she couldn't practice resurrection on animals—then again, that thought was a horrible one regardless of whether it was an insect or something smaller. There was something different about it being plants that withered and died from her touch, or from a distance when she'd finally managed to kill a shrub for the first time.

Adrien had been overjoyed for her.

“Yeah!” she exclaimed, excitedly holding her hand up to him.

Bemused, Adrien did the same and looked at her with a smile.

She slapped her palm against his.

“Oh, that,” he recalled, sounding like he'd had an epiphany. “I forgot that was a thing.”

“Yes, it wasn't in your diary,” she teased.

He blinked. “What?”

“You're a terrible drawer,” she told him.

Adrien shifted on the spot, suddenly taking on an embarrassed expression. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Sure,” she said, extending the first vowel. “But it was kind of cute. You should make it more about you in the future. I'll enjoy it much more that way.”

“But it was about you,” he replied.

She nodded. “That's why it sucked.”

“Not because of my bad drawings?” he questioned, giving her a shy smile.

Marinette grinned. “They gave me joy in an entirely egotistical way.”

“...What?”

“It made me realise that I'm the shit in other people's eyes,” she proclaimed, dramatically putting the back of her hand against her forehead and pretending to swoon. “But you got confused and made me look like shit instead.”

Adrien answered to that, “Again, what?”

She pretended to shoot him with her hand.

He looked even more confused.

-x-

“Again,” Marinette demanded, wiping the blood from her mouth.

Kagami complied, attempting to punch her only for the shield stop the attack, not damaging her in the process. And instead of shattering from only one hit, it was able to withstand half of the second, making it so the blow was lessened from being stopped for only a moment before breaking through.

Marinette felt winded when the fist connected to her chest still.

Luka called out, “That's the fifth time now.”

“I can do six today!” she insisted.

Kagami proved that that was a lie.

It was evidence that she was improving, though. While she wouldn't ever be as good as Kagami at fighting—whether it was with a sword or not—she could attempt to fight back since trying to punch someone seemed more instinctive to her than responding to a sudden situation with magic.

There had to be thought behind it for her, and that was where the problem was.

Luka was still the worst out of all of them at fighting.

While Kagami attempted to teach him, Marinette could sit on the sidelines and use her shield on him to practice while resting. The amount of magic she used was nowhere near her limits for mana on a good day; she hadn't felt exhaustion from running out since her first few months in Nal-Yun's castle when her body had been adjusting to the change.

Her surroundings were starting to become familiar to her. She'd become accustomed with the town of Ni-Reum that Adrien resided in, travelling out with Kagami and Luka almost daily for fresh air before she regretted the bitter cold weather. The shopkeepers had started to recognise and greet her, people on the street gave her polite smiles from associating her with Luka—and therefore Adrien—and she felt included as more than an afterthought.

Rather than growing stir-crazy and being kept inside, it felt like she was on vacation to a quaint town where everything was detached from her everyday life. The lack of phones and technology had slowly become normal, though she was still baffled that magic could replace some of the more archaic parts of life when it was all underdeveloped compared to her world.

Adrien taught her how to enchant crystals for more than a simple shield like Nathaniel had done.

As it turned out, gems were the only thing that were capable of holding magic. For the lights, plumbing, and other necessities that were normal to her that she'd seen in the castle and sometimes in demon-ran towns, it was all a matter of having a specific gem in an object to make it work.

He told her that it would run out of energy after a few years and have to be re-enchanted to keep them working.

“But we had them in, like, every room at the castle,” she pointed out.

Adrien informed her, “That means they've been periodically replaced.”

It made her realise that there had to be a hoard of jewels somewhere for the king to dip into. For him to enchant the castle and make it more functional for his everyday life, it made Marinette uncomfortable to remember how rundown the first inn she'd stayed at with Kagami had been.

There had been nothing magical about it.

It was surprisingly easy to be able to enchant a gem when Adrien was there, guiding her with the ease that the tutors at the castle had never possessed. Then again, Adrien had never tried to be an authority figure with her.

She studied his face as he explained in detail about the gems he had around his home.

Her memory of him had been murky before; a past recollection that had grown blurry and distorted with the time that had passed. She'd been unsure whether it had been rose-tinted glasses that had had her looking back at her time with him being pleasant despite the trauma she'd been suffering, but having him explain anything she wanted in a soft tone reassured her that she hadn't been imagining it.

He was a calming presence.

Chloé was loud, brash, and wanted her full attention whether it was for educational purposes or not. She hadn't cared about Marinette's safety when a health potion could've fixed anything—

But Adrien was the opposite. He'd kept her warm, given her a place to sleep without wanting anything in return, and he was doing the same again.

And when he noticed her looking at him, his smile was soft.

Her returning smile reached her eyes.

He let out a breath of amusement. “Are you even listening to me?”

“I got lost in your eyes,” she proclaimed. “They're so green I couldn't help but try and imagine what the outside would look like without all this fucking snow.”

He was comfortable enough to flick her nose.

Marinette made an outraged noise.

“Focus,” he chided, as though he was talking to a child. “You've got to be up to my standards before I'm letting you do anything dangerous, remember?”

“Need pass my tests to be a spy, got it,” she muttered.

“There'll be no spying to it,” he answered. “With your magic, there's no chance of you slinking in there disguised like a cat.”

She huffed. “Well, not with that attitude.”

“We're compatible, I'm pretty sure I know all about what your magic can do,” he reminded her.

“Question,” she started, raising her hand up and pretending he was a teacher. And when Adrien smiled at her, she continued on to ask, “How can I lift myself up? I've held Kagami up and Luka's stopped me before, but I can't do it on myself.”

Adrien enquired, “Did you do it on command?”

She mumbled, “Not really.”

“It's harder on living things,” he assured her. “It's even worse when you can't see the object because it's you. I end up wobbly and bumping into things, so it's easier... to levitate whatever I'm going for instead.”

“I want an easier way to sneak in through the window at night,” she declared.

“Well, if you want to smash into the window instead, it'll be a great thing to learn,” he mused.

She frowned. “Maybe I'll get better at it than you.”

He snorted. “Yeah, in a few decades.”

“You didn't even hesitate!” she exclaimed, offended. “I could totally get better than you. Mark my words, you're going to eat my dust someday, Adrien.”

“I've got years of practice on you,” he pointed out with a grin. “How do you think you're going to catch up?”

“With Chloé and her demonic training lessons.”

He winced. “You'd... want that?”

“I can't deny they're effective now,” she said, tucking some stray hairs behind her ear. “And she doesn't scare me shitless any more, so that's a thing.”

“You're very crude now,” he remarked, sounding surprised. “It—it's strange.”

“I'm crude?” she demanded. “Chloé swears every other sentence!”

“Chloé has never cared for manners,” he responded. “You used to be so polite and caring, now you're mention shit to me all the time. It's unnerving.”

Marinette tutted. “Why?”

“Why?” he echoed, confused.

“Why is it so weird?” she asked.

“Because you're—” Adrien started before cutting himself off, running a hand through his hair. “You're not a kid now.”

She clapped. “Neither are you.”

“I'm still getting used to it,” he admitted, giving her a small smile. “It's a little jarring when you talk like Chloé, though. It's like I'm having flashbacks to her tantrums.”

She made an offended noise. “I'm not having a tantrum!”

“You sure?” he questioned.

Marinette stomped her foot.

He threw his head back and laughed.

She laughed with him, smiling wide with no tension in her shoulders; relaxed by his side despite the dreadful reputation that humans had for him. Since before, Adrien had been nothing but kind and welcoming to her, trying to make her life easier while he sorted everything out for her.

And now that she wanted to be more involved with it, he was easing her in, making sure that she could protect herself before putting her in any more danger.

“Should I get an earring to match Luka?” she questioned, touching the top of her ear where she didn't have any piercings. “I need something to remind you that I want to be revived, right?”

Adrien gently reached out and took ahold of her hand, stopping her from touching her ear more. “You don't need to do that.”

“No?” she asked. “He said that you all have some jewellery or something?”

“Yes, for those that I don't know personally,” he said, taking their hands and letting them fall down to their side. “But not for you. I wouldn't—I'd be there with you. I'd know.”

It made her smile. “You can't be with me all the time.”

“Maybe not,” he admitted, letting go of her hand to hold onto her wrist, a soft touch that she wasn't expecting him to keep. “Can you—can you promise me that you won't go somewhere dangerous without me? I don't mind you going into the town, but...”

It wasn't that he was trying to keep her locked away.

“I promise,” Marinette assured him without hesitation, talking as softly as his touch on her wrist. “Even if I somehow manage to break your shield, I'm not going to run for the hills into certain danger. I like lazing around here, actually.”

He let out a quiet laugh. “Lazing?”

“Well, I'm not always paying attention when Chloé's not here to threaten me with knives,” she mused.

Adrien beamed. “Oh, so you want her to come more?”

“I didn't say _that_ —”

“She'll be very happy to hear that,” he said. “She complains less about you now, by the way. I think it's because you don't look so young any more.”

She deadpanned, “Because I'm eye candy now instead of a walking fetus?”

Adrien laughed loudly.

“You can admit I'm pretty, Adrien,” she said, purposely leaning into him. “I'm more than a sight for sore eyes.”

He frowned. “My eyes aren't sore?”

“I meant,” Marinette started, taking his hand in hers and linking their fingers together. “I'm cute. Appreciate me.”

“Oh,” he said, a little stunned. She couldn't tell if it was from her words or actions when he glanced down at their hands. “You are, yes.”

“I am what?” she asked, smile widening.

He cleared his throat. “You know.”

“No, I don't,” she said, singing the words. “Tell me.”

His ears were red. “You're pretty.”

She winked.

Adrien made a choked noise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥(*´―`*)


	23. 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** adrien tutored mari in various types of magic, mari and the gang started going into town regularly, and adrien told mari that she's pretty. 
> 
> if anyone of u call mari luka's step-mom again i'm going to personally punt u into the sun 
> 
> are we clear??? do u understand????? i cannot handle this suffering.. this bullying......... i just wanted to live in peace and i've been haunted by this since adrien's been introduced sljkgdhfj
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768), [champain](https://champain.tumblr.com/post/637230195300073472).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

“What else are you doing today?” Marinette asked.

Adrien shrugged.

“Come hang out with us,” she said, not phrasing it as a question.

He seemed taken aback by that. “What?”

“You can watch Kagami and Luka try to fight,” she said, stretching her arms out in front until her back clicked. “It's fun watching Luka get his ass handed to him. He doesn't know when to give up.”

Adrien tilted his head. “Why would I want to watch that?”

“To keep me company?” she suggested with a smile. “And I like spending time with you. Why can't I have both at the same time?”

“That's greedy,” he remarked.

“You spoil me and _now_ it's a problem?” she questioned, dramatically shaking her head. “You encouraged this, Adrien. You need to suffer the consequences.”

“Why is the consequence seeing Luka get bloody?” he asked.

“Because I'm concerned that you're not friends,” she bluntly replied.

Adrien was wide-eyed. “You're—you care about that?”

“Of course I do!” she exclaimed, a bit baffled why he was so surprised about it. “You—you live in the same house! You took him in and you barely spend any time together. Why would you do that if you don't like him?”

“I like Luka,” Adrien replied with a perplexed frown. “When have I said I don't?”

“You're not friends,” she repeated.

It was under his breath that he said, “You don't have to be friends to like someone.”

“You do if you live together!” she burst out with. Then, she took off her usual fur-lined cloak that she wore outside with him and put it on on a hook by the front door, having to stand on her toes since it was so high up. “What about when I wasn't here? Did you only see each other at meals?”

“Sometimes,” he said.

She pulled a face. “Why?”

Adrien's smile was sheepish. “I didn't want to bother him.”

“Bother him,” she echoed, furrowing her brow. “You took him in instead of sending him to an orphanage. Wait, are orphanages a thing here?”

“They are,” he confirmed.

“Do you separate the children so there's demon only ones? Oh, that would be pointless when there's so little because of your shitty reproductive rates,” she rambled, running a hand through her hair and pulling the ribbon out to let it all fall down. “Demon children must be really wanted? Tell me there's not, like, a bidding war for them or anything.”

“They're not separated,” Adrien said, reaching out to take her hand that was fluffy out her hair. “And there's no auctions, I promise. I put a stop to that.”

She exclaimed, “There _were_?”

“A few children have wound up with humans over the years,” he said in a whisper, linking his fingers through hers, more comfortable with the touch since she'd started to take his hand during lessons. “You can imagine that they're highly sought after for their abilities.”

Marinette's stomach twisted at the thought. “But they hate demons.”

“They hate what they can't have,” Adrien replied, his smile not reaching his eyes. “Mages allowed them to live comfortably and continue to discriminate against us. They're lashing out now that they've lost that.”

She frowned. “You weren't even around when mages were.”

“No,” he confirmed. “But I've heard a lot about them.”

She squeezed his hand in an attempt to comfort him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” he replied without hesitation.

“It might offend you,” she admitted, glancing up at him before averting her eyes at his friendly expression. And when he only waited patiently for her to continue, she came out with, “Why are you so against killing?”

“What?”

“Chloé said,” she started, wetting her lips and looking down at their linked hands. He hadn't pulled back, so that was a good sign. “Chloé said that you... you're against killing humans—that you don't do anything to retaliate what they do.”

He inhaled sharply. “Yes.”

“Why?” she asked. “You could finish it in moments. The things you can do—”

“What would it do in the end?” Adrien questioned, his voice cracking. “It would only make them hate me more, wouldn't it? Taking over their kingdoms and offering to revive anyone that died in return for peace—it'll be an endless loop that'll never end. It makes everything worse whenever I try.”

“Why waste your time here?” she questioned, gesturing around the hallway they were standing in. “You're living as far away as possible, hiding up in the mountains because the weather makes them give up before they even make it here.”

His reply was quiet. “I don't want to kill.”

“They want to kill you,” she countered, turning to stand in front of them, almost chest-to-chest as she looked up at his expression. “You went to the old king and tried to bargain for peace with him. What happened to that?”

“They said no,” was his flat response.

“So, squash the ones that say that?” she replied. “You can literally burst in there and be in front of the king in seconds. Your shield can stop them from hurting you _at all_.”

He turned his head away.

“Adrien,” she called softly, reaching up to cup his cheek, her gentle touch encouraging him to look her way again. And when he did, she smiled, trying to make her expression as open as possible. “I'm not trying to fight you. I just—I want to know what's going on in your head.”

His eyes looked wet. “I don't want to do this.”

“This?” she questioned. “You mean, talk to me?”

“I'd never not want to talk to you,” he replied in a hushed voice, having to blink to keep his tears at bay. It made her chest feel tight. “This—I'm not cut out for leading people. I don't like fighting.”

“You said you're not a leader,” she reminded him gently.

Adrien leaned into the touch of her hand, closing his eyes. “That's not what everyone thinks.”

“I don't know what to say to you,” Marinette admitted quietly.

“You being here is enough,” he replied without missing a beat, opening up his watery eyes to give her a shaky smile. “I like having someone on my side.”

“Luka's on your side, too,” she pointed out.

His laugh wasn't sincere. “You're bringing him up now?”

“Adrien,” she started, lifting up her free hand to touch his other cheek, holding both sides of his head and forcing him to look at her. “You don't need to keep this distance up. You can be friends with more than me.”

He snorted. “I don't have any other friends.”

“You've got Chloé,” she said.

“Let's be serious, no one really has Chloé,” he replied, coming across a bit bitter. “She does whatever she wants.”

“She listens to you,” she retorted.

“Because I can kill her,” was his blunt response to that.

If only he would take that attitude with everyone else.

For as supportive he'd been for her, Marinette had barely seen him interact with anyone else. Chloé sought her out alone instead of being with Adrien, and Luka never went to spend time with Adrien with just the two of them. There was a distance between them all that was growing more with every passing day, like the divide on Luka's birthday when they were eating breakfast.

Adrien was taking steps away instead of trying to lessen it; he was awkwardly leaving and attending his duties, keeping busy instead of sitting alone in a room until Marinette wandered in to keep him company.

It sounded pitiful.

And if he truly thought that he didn't have any other friends than her when he'd been living such a life filled with responsibilities—

She felt sorry for him.

And from how he was looking at her with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, it seemed that he was picking up on that.

“I'm here,” she said, struggling to find the right words. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“For now,” he replied.

Instead of responding to that, Marinette squeezed his cheeks, pressing them together to make his lips stick out stupidly. He spluttered, trying to pull away, and she pressed down further.

When she let go, he touched his cheek and asked, “What was that for?”

She demanded, “How can such a pretty face hold so much stupid?”

He blinked. “I'm pretty?”

“So pretty,” she insisted, putting her hands on her hips. “And it's going to waste with this sad boy act. You don't have to live out your sad backstory by pouting everyday.”

“I—what?” Adrien blurted.

“I know why I'm here this time,” she proclaimed, haughtily lifting her head up and looking him in the eyes. “It's to make your life better.”

“My life?” he questioned.

“Yes.” Marinette nodded her head. “You're in a depressive funk. I'm going to pull you out of it, even if it means I have to punch you.”

“... _Punch_ me?”

She held up a fist. “This is a threat. Unless you smile the required amount of times a day, I will hurt you.”

He got out through his laughter, “That's not how this works—”

“You don't get to tell me that!” she exclaimed, pointing a finger his way. “Parents tell their children that you're the monster under the bed. I'm going to fix that.”

His expression grew tight. “It's not fixable, Marinette.”

“Not with that attitude, it's not,” she insisted before gesturing to her face. “I'm pretty _and_ smart. How can you not believe me?”

Adrien's smile wasn't so forced. “Those aren't the qualifications for the job.”

“It's a job now, is it?” she questioned, snapping her fingers. “I'll happily take the pay for being your PR manager.”

“My what?” he asked.

She waved her hand dismissively. “Think of me as your life coach.”

“I think you're out of your mind,” he said.

“That's because I'm in yours,” she replied with a wink.

He let out an exasperated breath, expression showing how fond of her he was.

-x-

The first step was breaching the gap between him and Luka.

There was a flaw in her plan, however.

“You don't have any board games?” she demanded.

Luka tilted his head. “Who would we play with?”

“Each other!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. “I had it all planned out! I was going to play with Kagami against you—”

“Why am I with you?” Kagami interrupted.

She fluttered her eyelashes. “Because you love me.”

Kagami scowled. “Wrong.”

“You can deny it all you want, but you cuddle up to me in bed,” she replied, smile showing her teeth.

“I kicked you,” Kagami corrected.

She shrugged. “Semantics.”

“What else was in your grand plan?” Luka asked.

“Adrien returning to a happy scene of us wanting to play with him!” Marinette replied with a dramatic sigh, complete with putting the back of her hand to her forehead. “What am I supposed to do now? What can we even _play_?”

“We do play,” he said.

“We play fight,” she corrected with a huff. “I can't just invite him to join us for that.”

“Why not?” Kagami asked, crossing her arms. “I want to punch him.”

“You're not punching him, Kagami,” she denied.

Kagami tutted.

“Did you just click your tongue at me?” Marinette demanded, whirling around and jabbing Kagami's chest in accusation. “You're so ungrateful! All the things I do for you and you throw a tantrum at not being able to punch Adrien?”

“I don't think that's a tantrum,” Luka remarked.

“You be quiet,” she retorted. “This is the equivalent of crying and stomping her foot for her.”

Kagami nodded. “I'm rebellious now.”

“See!” Marinette exclaimed, wildly gesturing at her. “And she's _admitting_ it!”

“I think you two spend too much time together,” Luka said, amused. “If Kagami gets any more playful, I'm going to vomit.”

“You can admit you're jealous that we sleep together,” she said, putting her hand under her chin and striking a pose. “I'm the kind of eye candy that you want to wake up to in the morning.”

Luka looked like he'd swallowed something sour.

Marinette laughed. “You poor thing, sleeping all alone.”

“I'm fine without you, thank you,” he denied.

She sniffed, wiping and non-existent tear. “You're trying to be so strong.”

It wasn't a question when he came out with, “...What is wrong with you.”

“I think I'm delirious,” she said, beaming. “I have to amuse myself if we don't have any games to play. I guess me putting my foot in my mouth will be our entertainment for tonight.”

“You can't put your foot in your mouth,” Kagami stated.

She raised her eyebrows. “Is that a challenge?”

And because she was stubborn about the worst things, it was when she was on the floor, holding her ankle and trying to put her foot in her mouth that Adrien walked in and entered the room.

He stared.

Marinette stared back, letting go of her leg and letting it flop down.

She winced at her sore joints. “It's not what it looks like.”

“Should I leave?” Adrien asked, surprise clear in his voice.

Her face felt hot.

It didn't help that Luka was trying to muffle his laughter, enjoying her embarrassment.

“I'm not a weirdo,” she insisted, burying her face in her hands. “It was a competition!”

“I don't see anyone else doing that,” Kagami pointed out.

Luka laughter grew more pronounced.

“I want to die,” she wallowed.

“I didn't know you could feel shame,” Adrien remarked, sounding closer. And when she peeked through her fingers, he was crouched down in front of her with a smile that showed his dimples. “This is a new look for you.”

She muttered, “I'm the court jester now.”

He made a inquisitive noise.

“I'm a clown,” she continued, dramatically lamenting her problems and letting her hands fall down to her lap, still sitting on the floor. “I'm only here for your entertainment.”

“I thought it was to make me a better person,” he mused.

“This is included in your rehab program,” she replied matter-of-factly. “You've gotta find joy in my stupidity to make it to the next step.”

Adrien tilted his head. “There's steps?”

“Many,” she confirmed.

Adrien stood up, offering a hand out to help her up.

Her knees cracked when she stood up, making her wince and complained, “My old age is getting to me.”

“I'm older than you,” Luka said.

She raised her middle finger in his direction without looking at him, instead keeping her gaze and attention on Adrien, her back to the other two. “What are you doing tonight, Adrien?”

“You're asking this a lot,” he replied.

“I'm taking that as you've got no plans,” she said, taking his hand without hesitation, tugging him towards the door. “We're ditching these losers. I've embarrassed myself enough already.”

Adrien didn't try and stop her. “Are you sure?”

“That's admitting defeat!” Luka called out.

She pointedly slammed the door shut.

“Sorry,” she apologised as an afterthought, still pulling him along through the hallway without a destination in mind. “All they can think of doing for fun is having Kagami punch you, so.”

“She'd like that,” Adrien remarked.

“Bullying isn't a bonding experience,” she stated. “And I don't want to see you get hit.”

“You watch Luka fight her,” he pointed out.

Marinette swallowed. “He's not you.”

All he could respond to that with was a soft, “Oh.”

They ended up on the other side, standing awkwardly in a room. After a moment had passed where neither of them said anything, simply holding hands and waiting for the other to speak, Marinette blurted, “I don't know what I'm doing.”

Adrien laughed. “Do you mean in general or—”

“Now, I mean,” she admitted, running her hand through her hair. “I just—I wanted to be alone with you, I guess.”

With a smile, he asked, “Have you had dinner?”

“No?”

It was the first time going further than the garden outside with him. As with any other time they were together, Adrien insisted that she wear his cloak with the fur to keep her warm, bundling her up with layers and making sure she had everything, neglecting himself in the process.

“You bought me my own cloak for a reason,” she half-heartedly protested, letting him do up the clasp at the front.

“This makes me feel better,” he responded, pushing her hair over her shoulder and straightening out the cloak to sit properly on her despite it being too big. “And you look cute in it.”

“I always look cute,” she proclaimed.

“Yes,” Adrien agreed without being embarrassed about it, holding open the door and allowing her to step out first.

There was a strange feeling when he did things like that; putting her first and making sure that she was okay. It was more than confirming that she liked the food and that she had all the things she needed—when it was combined with him touching her softly, it was unfamiliar, so unlike the doting that her parents had for her.

The shield wasn't visible around the home. Adrien held her hand as they walked down the path, not pausing in their steps before going down the hill and into town. When she almost slipped on a patch of ice, Adrien was there to steady her, helpfully saying that instead of struggling, she could absorb the hit with her own shield.

“It's a matter of pride,” she insisted.

“Sure,” he said, sounding amused. “That's definitely it.”

It was a new experience being in town with Adrien. The vendors and merchants had packed away for the day as the sun went down, though the lights in the streets lit up the paths well when combined with the illuminated windows of the buildings they passed.

Adrien had a clear destination in mind.

It was a small restaurant, one that she'd gone into for lunch before.

As with Luka, there was special treatment. Adrien kept his hood up, trying to obscure his identity as much as possible, and requested a table near the back where he could be partially hidden.

Marinette tried not to say his name.

Their table was small, close enough for her to accidentally kick him when trying to get comfortable in her chair.

“You forgot your shield,” she teased.

“It left my mind,” he admitted, ducking his head.

Marinette nudged him with her foot, gentler that time. “All right, mister. You dragged me here, so I'll order whatever you recommend. It's your time to shine and woo me.”

“Woo you?” he repeated, latching onto only that part of the sentence.

“Food is love,” she proclaimed.

He nodded seriously.

They didn't have any alcohol. Adrien had ordered them some kind of juice instead, and when it was served in wooden cups, she was more absorbed and gushing over how cute the cup was than tasting the drink at first.

He smiled. “Is it really worth that reaction?”

“Absolutely,” she said, holding the cup with two hands. “It's so _cool_. I mean, I've seen wooden spoons and stuff at home, but there seems to be so much of it here. I'll never get tired of it.”

He took a sip of his drink. “What do you miss?”

“About?” she asked.

“About home,” he clarified, resting one elbow on the table to put his cheek against his hand. “I don't know much about your life there.”

She smiled. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” Adrien said, smile reaching his eyes. “Did you go back to school?”

“I did,” she confirmed. “I tried so hard to pretend that everything was normal, so I put everything into studying. I transferred to a different university for better teachers, so that class ended up being the one that came here with me, unfortunately. I didn't even have enough time to get to know their names before we wound up in Nal-Yun.”

He made a sympathetic noise. “Did you have friends?”

“Not... really,” Marinette admitted with a laugh, reaching up to tuck some stray hairs behind her ear. “It was hard to get on with people after I got back. It was just—it was so scary being here before, you know? And no one _knew_. I couldn't tell anyone unless they thought I'd lost my mind!”

He quietly offered, “I'm sorry.”

“It's not your fault,” she insisted, reaching across the small table to take his hand. It was Adrien that intertwined their fingers in a matter of moments. “I kind of didn't have any close friends after that. They were nice, yeah, but I never... connected with them?”

“You've got friends now,” Adrien softly reminded her.

“I do,” she agreed, beaming. “And you're included in that!”

He smiled back. “Am I?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Marinette replied. “You don't take someone out to dinner if you dislike them.”

“Technically, we haven't had dinner yet,” he pointed out.

“The rumbling in my stomach is from friendship,” she said.

He laughed. “That doesn't even make sense.”

She laughed along with him. “Pretend it does!”

“I already indulge you enough,” Adrien said, his thumb gently tracing patterns onto the back of her hand. “What else will you try and get away with?”

“Murder?” she suggested, pretending to shoot him with her free hand.

He raised his eyebrows. “Haven't you done that already by resurrecting Luka?”

Marinette winced. “Two times, poor guy.”

“He's a walking target when he's that tall,” Adrien mused.

“You're practically the same height.”

He winked. “I'm better at shields.”

She couldn't deny that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥(☆^ー^☆)


	24. 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **previously:** adrien and mari opened up to each other, kagami wanted to spend game night punching adrien, and adrien and mari went out for dinner. 
> 
> here it is, the one everyone's been waiting for!! with this update somehow planned really well, i'll be taking a few weeks off from updating this to relax/work on the last chapters. i hope it hasn't been too disappointing to reach this far!! 
> 
> \- ̗̀art ̖́- [aoirin](https://aoirin.tumblr.com/post/626089542195232768), [champain](https://champain.tumblr.com/post/637230195300073472).

_Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir © Thomas Astruc_

Marinette was a touchy person.

She was aware of it; touching Kagami or Luka's arms when they were talking, hugging when she was bored, and the addition of holding Adrien's hand for a safety precaution during their lessons became common place. It was instinctual for her, a habit that she hoped wasn't too annoying for others.

When she was shoved off, it was always good-heartedly. No one was yelling that she was being a nuisance, instead they indulged her and let her do what she wanted.

Adrien was touchy, too.

He'd touched her face and hair when they'd met again, keeping up those actions and making the distance between them minimal. There was something so endearing about how he seemed to not realise what personal space was when it came to her since when it was with Kagami or Luka, he didn't act the same.

It made her chest feel warm when she realised that.

Adrien's relationships with Luka and Kagami got better.

It only took Kagami attempting to fight him.

Marinette had sat with Luka on the sidelines, the two snacking on food she'd taken from the kitchens for everyone to share, ending up eating half of the bowl together as the two fought.

Kagami almost lost.

It was an abrupt movement of Kagami's that allowed her to knock Adrien over, the two of them breathing heavily with bruises that were sure to develop.

Marinette cheered, obnoxiously clapping her hands.

Kagami demanded a rematch.

And for someone who didn't like violence—or perhaps, it was only killing that he disapproved of—he didn't hold back when magic wasn't involved. Unlike Luka who had only been taught some moves from Chloé's theatre experience, Adrien knew what he was doing.

He was rusty, that was all.

“I haven't done that for a while,” he said, stretching his arm out later, shaking his hand where his knuckles were bloodied.

Kagami wiped her mouth with her hand. “You were good.”

“That's high praise from you,” Adrien replied, smile showing his dimples.

Kagami getting her violence out in an accepted way was the stepping stone that was needed, apparently. There were still a few distrustful glances in Adrien's direction during meals, but for the most part, the hostility had disappeared.

Adrien started to speak to Luka a lot more.

Marinette didn't care that she was often the butt of the joke—she was determined to see them happy and smiling under the same roof, and if that included laughing at her doing something ridiculous, she was completely fine with that. It was rare for her to be truly embarrassed about something she'd done.

It started to feel like a home.

The townspeople knew her name.

She knew most of theirs, though she remembered their faces first, having to learn the names second.

Ni-Reum was peaceful. The weather was terrible most of the time, the main food that was served was fish that was caught nearby, and the rest was imported in with carriages weekly. There was a rush for the merchants that sold fresh vegetables at the weekend.

She felt bad that she was now included in the same category as Adrien and Luka who got to skip the queues.

No one knew that she was a mage, of course. When some of the young children in the town came running up to her, asking her with wide eyes to showcase some magic to impress them, she crouched down and did as they asked, getting more comfortable with the interactions.

They weren't scared from thinking she was a demon.

There was no reason to hide away in an inn and not show her face; she was free to walk around, to do what she wanted as long as Luka was there as a reassurance.

She was happy.

Chloé scoffed at her. “Stop smiling like that.”

“Like what?” she asked, touching her cheek.

“You look gross,” Chloé replied, narrowing her eyes. “Do I need to up the danger level to get you to pay attention instead of daydreaming?”

“There are things prettier than you that deserve my attention,” she proclaimed, trying to keep a straight face when Chloé made an affronted noise. “Me. I'm the pretty thing.”

Chloé snorted. “Not with that outfit, you're not.”

“What's wrong with it?” she questioned, looking down at her clothes. The shades of brown and neutral colours that her wardrobe had was so much better than the black-and-white she'd been provided before. “I think I look nice.”

Chloé retorted, “You look like a peasant.”

“Well, I am one?” Marinette mused, thoughtfully tapping her chin. “I'm jobless and mooching off of Adrien.”

“Because he looks like shit doesn't mean you have to as well,” Chloé told her, reaching out and touching Marinette's tunic, inspecting the material critically. “This feels so rough.”

“I like it,” she defended.

Chloé snorted. “Don't lie.”

“I do!” she exclaimed, smoothing out her shirt. “Adrien bought me this. I'm keeping it.”

“He has no fashion sense,” Chloé pointed out. “You can do better.”

“Who am I trying to impress around here?” she questioned. “I'm good, thanks. I got these as a gift.”

Chloé muttered, “A terrible one.”

It wasn't well thought out when she shot back, “Aren't you bitter that he doesn't buy you anything?”

Chloé's expression twisted into a scowl. “What did you just say?”

“It's not like I'm wrong!” she blurted. “You're barely even friends.”

Chloé crossed her arms. “Why would I want him to be my friend?”

“It's always handy to have someone strong on your side,” she pointed out wisely. “And it's an added bonus if they actually like you, right?”

It was with a disapproving noise that Chloé replied, “Now you're showing off that you're collecting everyone.”

Marinette beamed. “Does that include you?”

“Block three hits with a shield then we'll talk,” was Chloé's answer.

The training wasn't gruelling. Marinette's mana was plentiful, allowing her to use her magic for hours on end before she started to feel any sort of exhaustion. It was the time with Kagami and Luka that she relaxed, idly casting shields to keep them topped up and ready for any accidents.

Adrien told her that she was doing good.

Chloé said that she was acceptable. That was shining praise coming from her.

Compared to her magic when she'd arrived in Ni-Reum to see Adrien, she'd improved greatly. She'd started to be able to control killing from a distance, massacring the garden so it looked less fantastic covered in the snow, hadn't accidentally killed another living person since the incident with Luka, though she'd yet to manage to teleport again.

She had no complaints about holding Adrien's hand.

The moments where he initiated it first—either holding his hand out with a flourish for her to take or gently brushing his hand against hers as they walked side-by-side—she couldn't help but smile widely at his actions.

He was relaxing to be around.

Adrien was warm, familiar, and a sense of comfort.

And the fact that she was that for him in return made her feel happier than she could explain; to be one he could regard as a friend and express his worries and concerns—the very things that Luka wasn't close enough to know despite the two living under the same roof for years—was a wonder.

Adrien had started to allow her into his bedroom.

It was as nicely furnished as the rest of the rooms; top quality wood, wallpaper that wasn't torn or stained in any way, and the few books that were placed on a singular shelf were covered in dust compared to the others in the home.

His armchair was comfortable.

Marinette sat in it, twisting around and throwing her legs over the arm, getting comfortable as he went through a few documents while sat on the edge of his bed.

“Whatcha doing?” she asked.

He deadpanned, “Dying of boredom.”

She laughed. “Is it that bad?”

“I'm terrible with numbers,” he said, an exaggerated frown on his lips. “Yet they expect me to do something about this.”

“What actually is it?” she questioned.

“Information about the cities that we've overtaken,” Adrien explained, running a hand through his hair and causing it to stick out messily. “It's comparing the ones that are earning the most money and how much they've been targeted by Lyss-Ria's king.”

“Oh, rough,” was all she could respond to that. It was tone-deaf, lacking the empathy from failing to try and imagine the situation despite being hunted by the king's men that one time. “You do kill any of his men that try and raid the city, right?”

“...Yes.”

“Great, because I saw Luka murder, like, a dozen men in a few seconds before,” she blurted. “I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a secret.”

He frowned. “It's not a secret.”

“Well, that's good.”

“He told me,” Adrien said, sighing as he placed the papers on his bedside table, giving up. “I can't say that there was a better solution.”

“No prisoners?” she asked.

“Tried that,” he replied with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. “No one believed that I'd keep my word.”

She grimaced. “Lame.”

“...Yes, lame,” he agreed, sounding amused. “You sure do have a way with words.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes. “Are you making fun of me?”

“No, of course not,” he said, getting up from the bed and crossing the room to stand in front of her, crouching down to be on the same level. “I think you're charming.”

She brightened up. “Charming, am I?”

“Very,” he confirmed, reaching out and brushing a few stray hairs out of her face. “I felt like I was going to have a meltdown from reading those papers, but a few words from you made it all disappear.”

She beamed. “I have that effect.”

“You do,” Adrien agreed, smile reaching his eyes. “It's calming having you back.”

“Calming isn't a word people associate with me often,” she mused.

“It should be,” he murmured, looking at her with a smile that was as soft as his voice. “I feel like I can breathe with you.”

She wetted her lips. “You can always breathe, Adrien.”

“It doesn't always feel like it,” he said, gently cupping her face, his thumb tracing her cheek in that gentle way that she'd become accustomed to. “I like having you around.”

She leaned into his touch. “I like being around.”

He grinned. “Yes?”

“Yes,” Marinette said, closing her eyes. “I'm sorry for taking so long to get here.”

“It's—it's okay.” His voice had cracked with those words. “I understand that you... you didn't remember me.”

“I did, vaguely,” she answered, shifting to be more on her side facing him, his hand still touching her cheek. “I didn't want to intrude. You didn't—I thought it wasn't fair to thrust myself on you again. I'm an adult now.”

He pointed out, “I am, too.”

“Yeah,” she agreed quietly. “You are.”

“Are you really planning on staying?” Adrien asked, his voice a hushed whisper. “I don't want to get my hopes up for you to slip away again.”

“I'm staying,” she assured him, opening her eyes to look at him with a smile.

There was a furrow between his brows as he gazed at her, opening his mouth for a moment before closing it, averting his eyes and starting to take his hand back.

She stopped him, pressing it against her cheek once more, leaning into him as she quietly said, “I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here with you.”

He swallowed, close enough for her to see it. “Are you sure?”

“Did Chloé not tell you?” she questioned. “I haven't got anyone to go back to.”

It was clear on his expression when he realised what she meant. “When?”

“Three years ago,” she said, smile not reaching her eyes. “It was a car crash. They were coming to pick me up.”

“I'm sorry,” he said, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “That's horrible.”

“You gave me more time with them,” Marinette reminded him. “I can't tell you how grateful I am for that, Adrien. You're amazing, I don't care what anyone else says.”

His expression was soft. “Even if they think I'm evil?”

“Even then,” she insisted, turning her head to press a kiss to his palm, not breaking eye contact with him. “I'll be here with you, I promise.”

Her heart was beating fast when she realised that his ears had started to turn red.

Marinette grinned, confidence growing as he didn't pull away.

“What did I do to deserve you?” he questioned.

“Magic,” she joked.

Adrien shook his head fondly. “I could never conjure anything as pretty as you.”

“You're getting very loose with your compliments now,” she remarked, wondering whether he could feel her face heating up. “Does it really mean anything any more when you give them out all of the time? They're losing value.”

He smiled. “How else am I supposed to show you how I feel?”

“Your actions, of course,” she replied, nuzzling her cheek against his hand. “This doesn't lose any meaning.”

“That doesn't make sense,” he protested.

She teased, “My heart doesn't flutter from you calling me pretty any more.”

His answer wasn't what she'd expected.

“No?” he asked, trailing his thumb until it came in contact with her lower lip. “What if I do this?”

For once, she was wide-eyed without a witty response to shoot back at him.

Adrien's smile grew, reaching his eyes and making them crinkle on the corners in a way that looked so endearing on him. He swiped his thumb gently across her lip, eyes on her the entire time.

Marinette swallowed.

He didn't pull away.

His thumb dragged her lower lip down a little before letting go as he told her, “You're pretty.”

She was absolutely blushing.

And before she could think of a reply to that—too focused on the feel of his thumb on her skin and their closeness where she could see the blond on the end of his eyelashes—she blinked and let out a surprised noise, flailing from suddenly falling onto the floor.

Except—

Falling wasn't quite right when Adrien had reappeared across the room with her. He was kneeling still, his position changed, while the armchair disappearing meant that she'd fallen down into an ungraceful heap, no longer lounging as Adrien complimented her.

She rolled over, burying her face in her hands.

“Marinette,” he called, petting her hair. “You did it.”

“It wasn't _intentional_!” she exclaimed.

“You didn't go across the country this time,” he pointed out, how proud he was clear in his voice. It was more of a result than all their time outside with her focusing and attempting to make it happen. “And this is a good distance, too. This will be manageable if you can replicate it.”

There was a strange feeling in her chest. “That's all you have to say?”

The hand in her hair stilled. “I—what do you want me to say?”

She quietly replied, “I don't know.”

-x-

It became painfully obvious what she wanted when she was alone.

When Luka touched her face to get a smudge of dirt off, she didn't have the same reaction. Embracing Kagami didn't have her leaning in and taking a deep breath because she liked how she smelled, nor did she borrow either of their clothes and feel happy that she was wearing them.

Looking back on it, Marinette wondered whether she was an idiot.

She was overly conscious of her actions for the following days, trying not to act out of character. When Adrien looked at her with a smile in the corner, greeting her in a voice that was slightly hoarse from him just waking up, she felt flustered and accidentally dropped her cutlery.

Their hands touched when they both went to pick it up.

And instead of reacting like normal—perhaps teasing him or slapping his hand out of the way to get it herself—Marinette panicked and yanked her hand away, accidentally hitting him in the face in the process.

He didn't have a shield up.

Adrien touched his reddening nose in surprise.

She made a distressed noise before stuttering out apologies.

And when he laughed, it reminded her how much she liked his easy-going attitude. He was never one to yell and lash out at her for a mistake, let alone ever.

Seeing him laughing with Luka at the dinner table, able talk about Marinette's improvements and ideas for what she could do next instead of awkward small talk, was enough to put a smile on her face. When it was combined with him sneaking glances her way, she ended up shovelling food into her mouth to avoid blurting out something embarrassing.

It wasn't that she was horribly nervous around him; Adrien was calming, a soothing presence that made her feel at ease. Yet the realisation of her feelings and how she responded to his little actions and words had her wanting to combust from being so horribly oblivious before.

Thankfully, they were alone when she ended up blurting out, “Are you dating anyone?”

Adrien was taken aback. “What?”

“That was a stupid question,” Marinette said, burying her face in her hands. “You don't even have any other friends! Why would you have a lover?”

He pried her hands away, leaning closer to peer at her with a curious expression. “You're asking me that?”

“I didn't think it through,” she lamely replied.

“I don't have anyone,” Adrien said, intertwining a hand with hers, contradicting his statement without realising it. “What brought this on?”

“I—” Marinette paused, wetting her lips. “Is it really not obvious?”

There was a short lull of silence before he broke it to quietly say, “You're getting my hopes up again.”

“I am?” It came out sounding like a question. “I mean, I don't know? I might be getting my own up right now. Does that even make sense?”

“You're rambling,” he remarked, sounding ever-so-fond as he squeezed her hand. “What's going through your head?”

“Hell if I know, dude,” she muttered.

Adrien laughed. “You're so silly.”

Her face felt hot. “I am?”

“Yes,” he said, pulling her closer, his free hand coming to rest on her waist from where they were almost chest-to-chest. It was almost a half-hearted hug. “I'm so happy you're here, Marinette.”

She didn't know when the shift had happened.

No longer was he the cool-looking person that could be an older student, someone that would look after her until she could return to her parents. Instead, he was an equal, one of the only ones she could relax around and unapologetically be herself with and be accepted for it. Adrien had only allowed her closer after they'd reintroduced themselves, promising not to hold expectations of the past to their current selves.

The old Adrien would never have held her like she was something delicate. He'd touch her face to inspect her and pat her head, but it never had never lingered and been paired with such a soft expression.

She wondered how she looked to him.

She wasn't wide-eyed and crying at every turn any more; she liked to think she was full of smiles now, able to be someone that he could laugh and joke with for relief from his endless stress.

There was nothing tense about his body language at that moment.

Marinette looked up at him, her lips parting but no words coming out.

Adrien's gaze dropped down to her mouth.

That warm feeling spread through her from the attention. When it was combined with their closeness, there was nothing to misinterpret.

She wasn't sure who leaned forward first.

Marinette closed her eyes as their noses brushed, tilting her head up to allow their positions to be more comfortable due to their height difference. The first touch to her lips was gentle, ever-so-hesitant, and barely-there. She responded in kind, shyly letting go of his hand to wrap her arms around his neck, getting closer to him.

He had his arms loosely around her waist.

His kiss was soft, the breath against her skin was warm, and she leaned into him more, welcoming his embrace in every way. And when one of his hands went up to cup her face, she was sure that he could feel her smile as they continued to kiss.

There was nothing bad about it.

It was gentle and patient, the first kiss that she'd always wanted to have with him. There was nothing demanding about it; there was no pressure to try and understand everything that was happening, and she wanted to get lost in the moment where it was simply the two of them.

Her chest felt warm, an almost giddy feeling spreading through her from the confirmation that he was in much the same situation as her. When they parted, Adrien pressing one more chaste kiss against her lips before pulling back enough for her to see his expression, there was nothing but fondness clear as he looked at her, crinkles appearing in the corner of his eyes as he smiled.

She kissed him again.

It was more insistent with Adrien tangling his hand in her hair, running his fingers through it as she pulled him closer, trying to get through all her feelings to him in a kiss—

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Marinette jumped, pulling apart to look at him with equally wide eyes.

“Mari?” came from behind her.

That wasn't—

She whirled around, fast enough for her hair to move and slap Adrien in the face, choking on her breath when she saw the face of someone she hadn't seen for eight months.

“Nathaniel?” she asked, her voice cracking.

“I thought you were dead?” Nathaniel questioned loudly, taking a step back and putting his hand on the doorknob. “How—how are you in my room? And who are you kissing?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://xiueryn.tumblr.com) ♥(ㆁωㆁ*)


End file.
